Bishop Michael A. Rush, Sr.

Obituary For Bishop Michael A. Rush, Sr.

The funeral services for the late Bishop Michael A. Rush, Sr., who departed this life on Thursday, November 20, 2025, will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. from the Open Door Fellowship Church in Sylvester, Georgia. Bishop James Cooper, Full Gospel Holy Temple, Inc., will deliver the Eulogy. Burial will be in the Andersonville National Cemetery in Andersonville, Georgia.

Bishop Michael A. Rush, Sr. was born on March 9, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Mr. Clarence Rush and Mrs. Ethel Derry.

Michael was educated in the Philadelphia City School System. After high school, Michael enlisted in the United States Navy, serving during the Vietnam War. During his life, he also worked at the Philadelphia Airport, the Willow Grove Air Force Base in Pennsylvania, the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia, and still served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Michael accepted Christ as his personal Savior at an early age and joined the Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the leadership of Reverend Benjamin Smith, Sr. After accepting the call of the Ministry, and studying and serving to reach the status of Bishop, Bishop Rush accepted the position of Pastor at God’s Temple of Deliverance in Sylvester, Georgia.

In May of 1976, just after three months of LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, Michael was united in Holy Matrimony to Paulette Lundy. This union was blessed with four children.

Michael A. Rush, Sr. was a proud Dad and Granddad. The grandchildren referred to him as the “Rich Granddaddy”.

Before his father, Clarence Rush, went home to be with the Lord, Michael promised him that he would forever be a child of God.

Bishop Rush’s serving in the Army of the Lord came to a close on November 20, 2025 at the Malcolm Randall VA Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. His father, Clarence Rush, his grandmother, Mazie Carlos, his brothers, Leo Derry and Samuel Derry, his aunt, Elene Carlos, and his honorary brother-in-law, Robert Brown, have all preceded him in death.

Bishop Rush leaves to cherish his memories his loving and devoted wife of 49 years, Paulette Lundy Rush; his children, Michael A. Rush II of Philadelphia, PA, Angela Rush, Katrice Rush, both of Ft. Worth, TX, Sheila Rush of Sylvester, GA; his grandchildren, Jymika, Thomas, Ni’Yahna, Anastasia, Norman, TJ, and Genesis, his mother, Ethel Derry; his siblings, and his cousin, Paul Carlos; and a host of other relatives, his church family, and many other sorrowing friends.