Elder Edward Earl Cleveland

March 11, 1921 – August 30, 2009

The funeral service for Elder E. E. Cleveland was held on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, at the Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist Church, followed by interment at the Oakwood Memorial Gardens.  He was preceded in death by his wife Celia Abney Cleveland.

Cleveland served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for more than 60 years as pastor, evangelist, church leader, teacher, civil rights leader, and mentor to thousands of preachers.  A service of reflection on his contributions to the Seventh-day Adventist ministry was held on September 8, attended by hundreds of Adventist pastors and Bible workers.

Described as “one of the greatest Christian evangelists of the 20th century,” Cleveland’s energetic combination of soul-winning and concern for social justice pioneered the concept of national evangelism campaigns--providing the template for the satellite-linked international campaigns of today. He held large gospel gatherings in the major cities of the world during the urban crisis of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Because of his legendary service to the Seventh-day Adventist ministry, Cleveland was honored during the 2007 grand opening of the Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks Leadership Center on the campus of Oakwood University.  Survivors include: his son and daughter-in-law, Earl and Pinkie Cleveland; a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Cleveland; four grandsons; three granddaughters, one cousin, Dolly; and other relatives.  Please keep the family in your prayers during this time of bereavement.

Due to the extremely large size of the video file resulting from the length of Elder E.E. Cleveland's funeral service, the video will not be available for viewing in the video archives of the Media Services Center at Oakwood University Church.  It is only be available for purchase on DVD, which can be ordered by calling the Media Department of the Church at (256) 827-1255.