Obituary for Rev. Charles Booth
Obituary of Reverend Charles William Booth
This is the final record of Mt. Pleasant resident Reverend Charles William Booth, 79, who went to be with the Lord on December 18, 2021 at Gratiot Hospital in Alma, Michigan. He had fought cancer for several years.
Charles was born on June 4, 1942 to Ralph Booth and Annie May Gunn, a founding member of the Brightmoor Tabernacle church in Detroit. He was the third of their four children and grew up in Detroit. He attended Redford High School, did not graduate, but later earned his GED. He met his wife Kay at Brightmoor Tabernacle. They married in 1961 and raised four children.
His first job was managing a carwash followed by employment as maintenance worker for Brightmoor Tabernacle where he also taught adult Sunday school. He then worked for Dennison Corporation as a serviceman supporting retail stores like K-Mart in Michigan and Ohio.
He had long felt the call of God, and so he left Dennison to become a minister. He was later ordained by the Assemblies of God (AG). He first pastored Coldwater Assembly of God, a small dingy church downwind from a foundry and a slaughter house. He soon relocated the dozen members to a beautifully renovated building visible from the main business route.
With a love for teaching and visiting the sick, he was viewed as an earnest pastor and anointed speaker. He often quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:22 which he paraphrased as “ministers must abstain from even the appearance of evil.” Ironically, he was forced to defend himself from frivolous ethical complaints filed by other ministers who thought they would be the better pastor. He eventually grew the church to about 250 members, but the stress of the building program and financial support from the AG running out led him to resign the church after three years.
After starting a church group in Brighton Michigan, he later pastored Gladwin Assembly of God. This was an established church where he nevertheless attracted many new members. After three years, a dilemma arose when one board member’s conduct deviated sharply from Biblical standards of a church elder. Pastor Booth and newer members pushed for his resignation, but the older members sought to force out the pastor instead. With his family unable to attend even Sunday school safely, Pastor Booth publically resigned and “shook the dust off his feet.” (See Mark 6:11)
Rev. Booth later guest-pastored the Willow United Methodist church in New Boston, Michigan for one year and then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where he retired. During his retirement he filled-in for pastors as requested at the local Salvation Army and various Assembly of God churches nearby. He also discovered that he really liked cats.
In sum, he tried to live as an example for others, did not seek riches or glory and often paid a price for not compromising his beliefs. Looking to the end, he hoped to one day hear from the Lord “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:23)
Charles is survived by his son Charles Booth of Trenton, New Jersey, daughter Teri Booth of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, son Bruce Booth (wife Debbie) of Yardley, Pennsylvania and daughter Marcia Booth of Bay City, Michigan, his grandchildren Kevin, Alex and Diane, his brother Fred Booth (wife Madeline) of Gladwin, Michigan, sister Dorothy Knopp of Milford, Michigan, sister Anne Freeman of Cookeville, Tennessee and sister Lolly Hartzell.
Cremation has taken place at Daisy Hill Crematory in Mt. Pleasant. https://www.daisyhillcrematory.com/
No formal services will be held.
This is the final record of Mt. Pleasant resident Reverend Charles William Booth, 79, who went to be with the Lord on December 18, 2021 at Gratiot Hospital in Alma, Michigan. He had fought cancer for several years.
Charles was born on June 4, 1942 to Ralph Booth and Annie May Gunn, a founding member of the Brightmoor Tabernacle church in Detroit. He was the third of their four children and grew up in Detroit. He attended Redford High School, did not graduate, but later earned his GED. He met his wife Kay at Brightmoor Tabernacle. They married in 1961 and raised four children.
His first job was managing a carwash followed by employment as maintenance worker for Brightmoor Tabernacle where he also taught adult Sunday school. He then worked for Dennison Corporation as a serviceman supporting retail stores like K-Mart in Michigan and Ohio.
He had long felt the call of God, and so he left Dennison to become a minister. He was later ordained by the Assemblies of God (AG). He first pastored Coldwater Assembly of God, a small dingy church downwind from a foundry and a slaughter house. He soon relocated the dozen members to a beautifully renovated building visible from the main business route.
With a love for teaching and visiting the sick, he was viewed as an earnest pastor and anointed speaker. He often quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:22 which he paraphrased as “ministers must abstain from even the appearance of evil.” Ironically, he was forced to defend himself from frivolous ethical complaints filed by other ministers who thought they would be the better pastor. He eventually grew the church to about 250 members, but the stress of the building program and financial support from the AG running out led him to resign the church after three years.
After starting a church group in Brighton Michigan, he later pastored Gladwin Assembly of God. This was an established church where he nevertheless attracted many new members. After three years, a dilemma arose when one board member’s conduct deviated sharply from Biblical standards of a church elder. Pastor Booth and newer members pushed for his resignation, but the older members sought to force out the pastor instead. With his family unable to attend even Sunday school safely, Pastor Booth publically resigned and “shook the dust off his feet.” (See Mark 6:11)
Rev. Booth later guest-pastored the Willow United Methodist church in New Boston, Michigan for one year and then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where he retired. During his retirement he filled-in for pastors as requested at the local Salvation Army and various Assembly of God churches nearby. He also discovered that he really liked cats.
In sum, he tried to live as an example for others, did not seek riches or glory and often paid a price for not compromising his beliefs. Looking to the end, he hoped to one day hear from the Lord “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:23)
Charles is survived by his son Charles Booth of Trenton, New Jersey, daughter Teri Booth of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, son Bruce Booth (wife Debbie) of Yardley, Pennsylvania and daughter Marcia Booth of Bay City, Michigan, his grandchildren Kevin, Alex and Diane, his brother Fred Booth (wife Madeline) of Gladwin, Michigan, sister Dorothy Knopp of Milford, Michigan, sister Anne Freeman of Cookeville, Tennessee and sister Lolly Hartzell.
Cremation has taken place at Daisy Hill Crematory in Mt. Pleasant. https://www.daisyhillcrematory.com/
No formal services will be held.