We, the Board of Bishops of The A.M.E. Zion Church, acknowledge with great sorrow the passing of our colleague and former Senior Bishop, Bishop George Edward Battle, Jr., who passed away on yesterday, Sunday, March 9, 2025.
Bishop Battle was elected our 84th Bishop in the line of succession at the 44th Quadrennial General Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in July 1992. Upon his election, he was assigned to the South Atlantic Episcopal District, and upon the death of Bishop Herman L. Anderson, he also served the Central North Carolina Conference and the Virgin Island Conference. In 1996, he was assigned to the Eastern North Carolina Episcopal District, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he was assigned to the Northeastern Episcopal District, where he also served for eight years. In 2012, he became our Senior Bishop and was assigned to the Piedmont Episcopal District, where he served for nine years until he retired in 2021. He continued to be a vital part of the Board of Bishops even during the five years of his retirement.
Having served as an active Bishop for 29 years, Bishop George Edward Battle, Jr. will take his place in history as one of our longest-serving active bishops. He was not only an evangelist, pastor, bishop, and Christian servant; he was a great philanthropist, a community leader, a champion for education, and a social justice advocate. We acknowledge that, indeed, a prince and a great man in The A.M.E. Zion Church has fallen, but he is now in the presence of his Lord, whom He served with all of his heart. He will be greatly missed.
We offer our sincere prayers and condolences to his faithful and loving wife, Mrs. Iris Battle, their children, George Edward III and LaChandra, their grandchildren, and a host of other relatives, friends, and community associates, all of whom he loved so dear. We applaud Mrs. Iris Battle for how she cared for him during his illness. Further information on the celebration of his life and legacy will be shared as soon as it is available.
“Servant of God, well done!
Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought, the victory won,
Enter thy master’s joy.”
Submitted with Sorrow,
The Board of Bishops of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Bishop U.U. Effiong, President
Bishop Darryl B. Starnes, Senior Bishop
Bishop W. Darin Moore
Bishop George D. Crenshaw
Bishop Hilliard Dogbe
Bishop Brian R. Thompson, Sr.
Bishop Eric L. Leake
Bishop Daran H. Mitchell
Bishop Anthony N. Witherspoon
Bishop Melanie Miller
Bishop Dwayne A. Walker
Bishop Bernando Ngunza
Bishop Seth O. Lartey, Located
Bishop Joseph Johnson, Retired
Bishop Marshall H. Strickland, Retired
Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett, Jr., Retired
Bishop George W.C. Walker, Sr., Retired
Bishop S. Chuka Ekeman, Retired
Bishop Warren M. Brown, Retired
Bishop Kenneth Monroe, Retired
Bishop Dennis V. Proctor, Retired
Bishop Michael A. Frencher, Sr., Retired
Sojourner Truth A.M.E. Zion Church (Jamaica, New York) would like to extend sincere condolence and prayers to the Battle family at this time. We are very saddened by the news of the Bishop George E. Battle, Jr.’s passing.
Rose Moore, Parent Body President, WHOMS
Reverend Kerry Rogers, Pastor
It was an honor to serve as Bishopric Episcopal Secretary/Assistant, in your Charlotte-based Episcopal Office at Two First Union from 1993-1997, supporting the AMEZ Seventh Episcopal District across South Carolina, the Pee Dee region, Georgia, and finally assigned Eastern North Carolina (the late Bishop Anderson). Your exemplary mentorship embodied humility and servant leadership. Rest in peace, “Bruh”, aka The Battleship Connection. You served with distinction. Thanks for the laughter, leadership, and sweet memories, which have assisted in my spiritual journey in having my own community social ministry, 1999-current respectively.
A true Soldier of the Cross; take your awesome Rest at the Loving Master’s Bossom.
To the Battle families my sincere condolences to you praying that you find peace during this time of sorrow may your love one R I P🙏
It is with sadness and joy that we mourn our brother, Bro. He leaves a legacy of kindness, forgiveness, and love. Even as a youngster among us, he showed what it meant to persevere with integrity. He had a heart of love like his mother, Mary. Through our tears, we celebrate and give thanks to God. Knowing that he has joined his siblings and other family, who are in the arms of God, Bro is in good company. We thank God for every lesson, memory, kind act, and word of encouragement that you shared.
Still, to God be the Glory.
Your Sis,
Deany (Rev. Dr. Gardenia Bulluck)
Deacon Patricia Kirksey fam.
Prayers and Sympathy for the entire family. God grant you all strength in this your hour of bereavement.
Rose Rozier
To Family of Bishop George Battle we are sorry to hear about your loss, I
Pray that he rest in peace I was glad his sister Patricia Battle Kirskey let me speak with him before he passed.
Love sister in Christ
Diane