Obituary of William S. Ellis

Ellis, Pastor William "Willie" Spencer age 55 of Elmira, NY, passed away Friday, May 8, 2015, unexpectedly in Cohocton, NY. Pastor Ellis was born in Elmira, NY on June 28, 1959, son of the late Harles Allen and Janice M. Ellis. He was also predeceased by his foster parents Alves and Ruby Brooks; brother Adrian R. "Randy" Ellis; sister Dolores C. Rawlings, grandmother Erie C. Ellis; and aunts Addie E. Terry, Dorothy A. Cheatham, and Sarah L. Harriel. While the lives he touched were numerous and he counted many as friends and family, Pastor Ellis, affectionately known as "Willie," "Ellis," or "Uncle Willie" is survived by his brother, Stephen B. (Linda) Ellis, Elmira, NY; sisters Barbra A. Ellis (Owego, NY), Bonita M. Ellis (Elmira, NY), and spiritual sister Phyllis (Theodore) Smith (Buffalo, NY); uncle Robert Allen; several nephews and nieces, including Cyril A. Ellis, Kiru Smith, Quinton Ellis, Fiona Ellis, Janice Ellis, Cheyenne Ellis, Sadie Smith, Cherron Rawlings, and Javier Duvois all of Elmira, NY and a host of other family members, friends, and associates that he was very devoted to. As a part of accepting his call to pastor, Elder Ellis wanted to thoroughly understand the sacred text and bring it alive as it speaks to our modern challenges. In 2009, he graduated summa cum laude from the Dallas Theological Seminary College of Biblical Studies, Houston, TX with a B.S. in Leadership Studies and Biblical Theology. In 2014, he graduated from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, NY with a M.A. in Theology. His excellence in scholarship, service, and mentoring his classmates led him to be selected as a Presidential Scholar. Always seeking to expand his knowledge of the Word of God and the world, Pastor Ellis had a goal to get a Ph.D. The excellence that he portrayed in ministry carried over into his secular career, where he held several leadership positions, including as a Vice President of Operations in the insurance industry. Pastor Ellis has an illustrious legacy of ministry that spans over 40 years. As a young child, he had a hunger for the Word of God, and began preaching and evangelizing at the age of 14. He has been a licensed and ordained Elder in the Church of God in Christ since 1978. He also served in administrative roles with the Church of God in Christ as the Director of Finance in the Texas South Central Jurisdiction under Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant, Sr. Pastor Ellis was recently selected as an instructor in the Institute of Christian Education in the New York Western First Jurisdiction and was exploring other exciting opportunities in the COGIC on both the state and national level. Pastor Ellis's most shining moment was to see the fulfillment of his life long dream to start a church for the un-churched and marginalized. The seed of the idea of what became New Day Ministry started in 2010 with a small group of long-time friends, with the official launch of the church occurring on February 17, 2012. Pastor Ellis and the fledgling congregation were approached by the members of the former Temple B'nai Israel about the purchase of their property as they were combining with the Congregation Kol Ami. Being the man of faith that he was, he moved ahead with the vision God birthed in him, despite having a flock of eight people, five of which were children. Since then, the family of New Day ministry has grown to over 120 lives through the Sunday services and countless others through the Bread of Life Breakfast Soup Kitchen. Through Project Impact, the ministry has reached out to "at risk" youth in the Elmira City School District. Always a champion of education, he was elated when New Day Ministry was chosen by Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School as a satellite for the Saturday Lay School of Christian Leadership from 2016-2019. Family and friends are invited to gather at New Day Ministry, Inc., 900 W. Water Street, Elmira, NY 14905, on Friday, May 15, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. His final tribute and home-going service will follow at 12:00 p.m. Donations in Pastor Ellis's memory may be made to New Day Ministry. Final arrangements have been entrusted to Walter J Kent Funeral Home, 858 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901 Phone: (607) 734-5368. For more information regarding New Day Ministry, Inc., please refer to the website at www.newdayministryonline.com or email at newdayministry@yahoo.com.