Pastor Ethel M. Powell

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." – 2 Timothy 4:7
Pastor Ethel M. Powell was born on May 1, 1935, in Littleton, North Carolina to the late Linwood Lee and Jesse Coley Lee. She peacefully departed this earthly life and entered into eternal rest on September 24, 2025.
Pastor Powell was raised and educated in Littleton, NC. In her early years, she later migrated to Baltimore, Maryland with her late husband, Ernest Powell. She created a life filled with love, family, service, and ministry.
With a warm and giving heart, Pastor Powell loved her family passionately and would go to great lengths to be a source of help and strength. For more than 50 years, she worked as a gifted cosmetologist, well known in her community and affectionately recognized as a true "Jheri Curl master." She also had a heart for children and served as a dedicated foster care parent for several years, extending her home and love to many.
Most importantly, Pastor Powell's life was defined by her unwavering love for the Lord. She lived to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing countless souls to Christ through her passionate evangelism. Whether traveling across cities, visiting nursing homes, feeding the hungry, or even sharing the Word in Walmart or the supermarket, she embodied the command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. In the mid-1980s, she followed the call of God and established Celestial Pentecostal Church, where she faithfully served as Pastor. Her ministry was not confined by walls; she carried the light of Jesus everywhere she went.
Pastor Powell leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, and service. She is lovingly remembered by her children: Clarassie Johnson (George) and Mark Powell; her daughter-in-law Joy Powell; her sister Inez Mitchell; her cherished grandchildren: Tatanesha Leach (Charles), Lisa Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Mykell Johnson, Teonna Johnson, Toby Caesar, and Todd Caesar (Bronte); her great-grandchildren: Isaiah, Madison, Tamya, Hannah, Gabriella, Kiya, Ryan, and Julius; along with a host of nieces, nephews, extended family, church family, and friends who will continue to celebrate her memory.
She is preceded in death by her husband Ernest Powell, son Carlton Powell, her siblings Kingwood Lee, Hillard Lee, Boozewall Lee, Mansfield Lee, Lenore Oates, Matilda Bates, and her beloved parents Linwood and Jesse Lee.
Though she will be deeply missed, Pastor Ethel M. Powell's legacy of faith, her love for people, and her devotion to Christ will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.