COGIC Pastor Dies in the Pulpit After Sermon

Bishop Barnett K. Thoroughgood had just finished his Sunday sermon called “I Am Here to do Battle” when he sat down in his seat on stage, and collapsed.

Soon after, he was pronounced dead. Members of New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ prayed and cried as paramedics tried to revive their 62-year-old pastor to no avail.

“He died doing what he loved,” church member Mable Beckett told a local reporter. Beckett attended the service where Thoroughgood took his last breath.

“He lived the life he was called to, right up until the end,” she added.

Thoroughgood founded New Jerusalem about 42 years ago. The church has since grown to more than 2,000 members. He was known for his fiery messages, full of energy.

Before his death Sunday, Thoroughgood preached from 2 Chronicles 20:12, urging congregants to keep their attention on God and call on Him in their time of need.

“You shall live and not die,” he said before taking his seat.