Essie Berlin Bryant
02/09/1935 - 07/08/2022
Ms. Essie Berlin Bryant was born to Ben and Alma Bryant on February 9, 1935 in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. As a child, Essie was educated in the Wayne County School System. Several years later, she and her siblings went to live with their grandparents, who were sharecroppers. At the tender age of fourteen, she went to live with her mother who lived in Philadelphia, PA.
Essie gave her life to Christ as a teenager. In the later years, she attended and graduated from the Deliverance Evangelists Bible Institute, where she studied General Theology for three years and graduated with President Honors. She worked for the Department of Defense in Philadelphia, PA for 28 years. During the last several years on the job she was led by God to start a Bible Study which lasted until she retired in 1994 as a GS-12.
Essie moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1994 where she joined Parks Chapel Church within that same year she attended ministerial classes and several years later she was ordained as an Elder. She taught Bible Study, Vacation Bible School and Sunday School for eight years, she also assisted the Pastor with teaching Evangelism classes. In her last six years she moved to Columbus, Georgia, where she became an Associate Minister at New Testament Christian Center Church.
Essie was a certified pastoral member of the Academy of Christian Counselor and a International Representative. She was the founder and Overseer of Proclaiming The Truth Ministries located in Philedelphia, PA. Essie was an author of two books, “My True Love” and “My Walk With God”.
Essie was committed to the Lord Jesus Christ for the sole purpose to teach and preach God’s Word. She was also committed to building up Saints and reaching the unsaved. Her heart’s desire was not only to reach the people for Christ, but to teach them, so that they in return, can reach others. The joy of her labor is to see someone living and experiencing a life that has been delivered, enlighten and brighten by our Lord Jesus Christ.
As you watched the lifestyle of this handmaiden, you saw a Woman of God, driven to her destiny. Her everyday life expressed an urgency to please her Father God. Her favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6.
In addition to being a dedicated and loving mother, Essie loved to travel and she also loved working out at the gym and a good meal. Throughout her entire life, she held an unwavering faith in God, which she shared with those who surrounded her.
Essie was preceded in death by her mother, Alma Bryant; father, Ben Bryant; three brothers, Ben, Charlie and Willie Bryant; sister, Bessie English and grandson, Sean Ballard.
She was the proud mother of four children, Doretha Ballard of Philadelphia, PA, Charlie Williams (Glenda) Bear of Delaware PA, Linda Glenn (Gary) of Columbus, GA and Antony Little (Sharon) of Philadelphia, PA; 16 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.