Chesterfield Bishop who died of COVID-19 remembered at public viewing; funeral livestream available Friday

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Friday afternoon, friends and family of a beloved Chesterfield Bishop who died from Coronavirus, will come together to lay him to rest. Bishop Gerald Glenn was the Pastor of the New Deliverance Evangelistic Church. He fell ill with the virus just days after holding service back in March.

A countless number of people say Glenn was an inspiration to them. That's why the church held a public viewing service Thursday, allowing so many to pay their respects.

“I don’t mind going through what I’m going through if it’s going to bring God glory,” Bishop Glenn said in a December sermon.

Many considered it a heartfelt and spirited sermon from a man known to inspire without holding back.

"A solid model for believers period,” Pastor Larry Miles said.

Following social distancing guidelines, people flocked to New Deliverance Evangelistic Church Thursday for a final moment with Bishop Glenn.

"This is a legend in ministry that's no longer with us,” Pastor James Burrell said.

Glenn passed away from Coronavirus. Those closest to him want the bishop to be remembered for so much more.

"I would ask him 'why do you allow people who you know have done you wrong come and come have conversations with you {to} take up your time?' and he said to me 'You know Ettora, God did that for me so I'll do that for others’,” Ettora Burrell said.

"A philanthropist, a person that loved people, cared about people in and out of this building. Gerald should be remembered as the phenomenal preacher,” Miles added.

Glenn served as Chaplain for the Chesterfield Police Department and co-chair of the Governor's statewide task force on preventing crime in minority communities.

"You know that scripture that says in Timothy the fourth chapter be thou an example to believers? That was Gerald. That was Gerald in life and ministry. That's the good part about this,” Miles added.

This week, Glenn’s church posted his December sermon for all to see. The message references Lazarus in the bible and suggests faith is needed, even when you don’t understand the why.

"It was no accident. I didn’t have to be there but you had to die for the glory of God,” Glenn said.

A private funeral service is also planned for noon on Friday. The church says the service will be live-streamed on its website for those who wish to watch.

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