{"id":113726,"date":"2026-01-27T11:14:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113726\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T11:14:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:14:07","slug":"st-philips-baptist-church-mourns-loss-of-several-longtime-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113726\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church mourns loss of several longtime members"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 In recent weeks, St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church<\/a> has mourned the loss of several women whose lives were deeply intertwined with the ministry and mission.<\/p>\n

Through decades of service, faith, and leadership, Mother Etta Jones, Mother Barbara Christopher and Deacon Annetta Morris helped shape the spiritual and communal life of the Stapleton church.<\/p>\n

\"EttaFrom left to right, Ashleigh Elliott, 9, Zonease Porter, Jocelyn Jackson-Porter, 12, and Mother Etta Jones are pictured in this photo taken Aug. 17, 2008, at the Staaten, West Brighton, for the St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church scholarship awards dinner. Jones died Dec. 24, 2025, at age 95.
\n(Staten Island Advance)Mother Etta Jones<\/p>\n

Mother Etta Mae Jones, who died Dec. 24, 2025, at age 95, lived a life defined by service, education and unwavering faith. <\/p>\n

Born July 6, 1930, in Lattimore, North Carolina, Jones was the eldest of 13 children raised on a hardworking family farm rooted in love and responsibility.<\/p>\n

Her pursuit of higher education led her to New York, where she earned a degree in radiologic technology, graduating at the top of her class, and later obtained a master\u2019s degree. <\/p>\n

A lover of plays and performance, Jones had a deep appreciation for storytelling and meaningful expression \u2014 passions that ultimately guided her to St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church.<\/p>\n

It was there that Jones found a lasting spiritual home and met her husband, Carl, with whom she shared 46 years of marriage. Their life together was marked by both heartbreak and joy, including the loss of a son who was stillborn and the blessing of raising their daughter, Marcea. <\/p>\n

At St. Philip\u2019s, Jones was deeply involved in church life, serving in the Sunday School, Missionary Ministry and choir. She was also a member of the Guiding Lights Church Choir, later known as the Senior Choir, and the Senior Ministry. A trained medical professional, she gave herself as a church nurse and found joy supporting the church\u2019s Summer Vacation Bible School program.<\/p>\n

Jones was known for her love of fellowship, regularly participating in church outings and events, and for the warmth she shared with her church family. She was also a proud member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.<\/a><\/p>\n

Following her death, tributes poured in from fellow congregants and community members. <\/p>\n

In a message shared on Facebook<\/a>, Kimberly Knight wrote: \u201cMy thoughts and prayers are with the St. Philip\u2019s and Jones families. She was an extraordinary woman of God. One of the kindest, sweetest souls I\u2019ve ever met. Rest well, Mother Jones. Rest well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraMother Barbara Christopher, right, is pictured in this photo taken March 7, 2025, with Julie Moody Lewis, president of the Sandy Ground Historical Society. Christopher died Dec. 22, 2025, at the age of 85. (Advance\/SILive.com | Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Mother Barbara Christopher <\/p>\n

Mother Barbara Ann Christopher died Dec. 22, 2025, at the age of 85. <\/p>\n

A Staten Island resident, Christopher was a faithful member of St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church for several years.<\/p>\n

She served through the church\u2019s Missionary Ministry and the Charles K. Smith Scholarship Committee, reflecting a deep commitment to service, education and community support. <\/p>\n

In a Facebook tribute<\/a>, Kindra Norwood recalled Christopher as her kindergarten teacher. \u201cI still remember her sweet bubbling personality,\u201d wrote Norwood. \u201cMy heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family throughout their grievance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others shared similar sentiments. Joan Rannie described Christopher as \u201ca kind, wonderful friend\u201d and \u201ca true child of God,\u201d adding she \u201cwill be remembered and never forgotten.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"AnnettaFrom left to right, Mable Roberts, Deacon Annetta Morris and Paulette Crosland gather for the annual brunch of the National Council of Negro Women, North Shore-Staten Island Section, in this photo taken April 9, 2006. Morris died Jan. 8, 2026, at the age of 92. (Advance\/SILive.com | Jin Lee)Deacon Annetta Morris<\/p>\n

Deacon Annetta Marion Smith Morris died Jan. 8, 2026, at the age of 92. <\/p>\n

As a deacon at St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church, Morris served with leadership, dedication and spiritual guidance, playing a significant role in the Sunday School Ministry.<\/p>\n

Her work focused on supporting the congregation and strengthening the church\u2019s mission, and she was known for her steadfast faith and commitment to service.<\/p>\n

Those who knew her personally remembered her as a source of care and compassion. In a Facebook<\/a> message, Yvonne Burkhalter wrote: \u201cDeacon Annetta Morris was a sister to me since I was a teenager. She was always caring and loving to me and she will be truly missed.\u201d <\/p>\n

Church leaders said the nearly simultaneous loss of these women has been deeply felt, but their influence continues to shape the church and its community. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 In recent weeks, St. Philip\u2019s Baptist Church has mourned the loss of several women…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-113726","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}