Bishop Charles J. Foye

June 14, 1940 - October 25, 2020

PASTOR, HUSBAND, MENTOR, TEACHER, LIGHT On Sunday, October 25, after a courageous fight against an aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, the Lord saw fit in His infinite mercy to call Suffragan Bishop Charles J. Foye home to spend eternity with Him. Bishop Foye, Pastor Emeritus of Christ Temple Apostolic Church in Roseville, MN, exemplified 1 Timothy 3:1-7. He leaves behind a legacy of love: love for Christ, love for family, love for the church, and love for community. He was 80-years-old. Charles Junious Foye was born in 1940 to James and Lucinda Foye in Goldsboro, NC. He was the youngest of eight siblings. In September 1958, having moved to Buffalo, NY from his hometown of Goldsboro, NC, Charles began attending Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church under the pastorate of the late Bishop William Crossley. On his third Sunday, he obeyed the call of God to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. On November 12, 1958, God filled him with the gift of the Holy Ghost. He said it was the greatest joy he had ever experienced. In the early 1970s, while working in Buffalo, Charles befriended Christina Anne Kelly. They became fast friends and eventually were married on June 11, 1977. He often said their marriage of 43 years was one of love, joy, happiness, peace and contentment. While attending Emmanuel Temple, then Brother Foye happily served in any capacity where there was a need. He served as janitor, laborer, choir member, armor bearer (for Pastor), young people’s leader, Sunday school teacher, devotion service leader, etc. It was a practice he continued when he and his family relocated to Saint Paul and became members of Christ Temple Church under the pastorate of District Elder Louis Ervin Sr. in 1978. He continued to be a loyal minister and worker at CTAC under the late District Elder Harold Harris, when he became pastor after Elder Ervin’s death. After years of laboring in the vineyard, when District Elder Harris retired due to health issues in 1993, the congregation elected Elder Foye to become the fifth pastor of Christ Temple Apostolic Church. It was a position he held for 19 years, retiring in 2012 and assuming the role of Pastor Emeritus. Throughout his ministry, Suffragan Bishop Foye prioritized studying and teaching. In fact, for many years he would regularly meet for breakfast with the late Bishop Robert W. Hill, Pastor of True Apostolic Assembly, at local restaurants where they would often still be found at lunchtime, deep in discussions about a particular biblical or doctrinal point. Bishop Foye was also active for nearly 40 years with the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Dakotas District Council, serving in various capacities and retiring as Council Administrator in 2020. There were several highlights during Suffragan Bishop Foye’s 19 years as pastor of CTAC, but one accomplishment left a substantial legacy for the church’s future. In 1997, Pastor Foye with full support from the church board, stepped out on faith and moved from the church at 983 W. Central to a beautiful new building in Roseville, MN. Despite critics who predicted doom for the congregation as it spread beyond the Saint Paul city limits, Bishop Foye stayed focused on the vision he had from God. Ten years later the mortgage on the new church was retired, more than a decade early. The message for Bishop and Lady Foye and the saints was clear: Trust God! Bishop Foye was a true servant leader, with a humble spirit and a gentle demeanor. He loved people, he loved to laugh and to debate politics. He was firm in his religious beliefs and yet he embraced all faiths, all cultures, all people. And he didn’t shy away from being a trailblazer when the situation called for it. In the early 1980s when the AIDS pandemic was just entering the national consciousness and the Black Church was silent on its outreach to those suffering from the disease, Bishop Foye’s nephew contracted the disease. People in the family and in the church looked to see how he (a conservative Pentecostal minister and new pastor) would react. And true to who he was, he personally nursed his nephew through his last days, talked to the church about starting an AIDS ministry and showed us all what compassion, grace and the love of Christ was all about. His quiet action opened doors of tolerance across the whole church community and he continued to open doors throughout his ministry. He truly understood and preached the redemptive power of Christ and he had a special heart for backsliders and for those who sometimes struggled in their walk with God. Bishop Foye firmly believed in reaching beyond the walls of the church and the PAW, actively partnering with churches from various denominations as an officer of the Saint Paul Black Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. In that role he took on advocacy for improved academic outcomes for children of color, and participated in many organizations like ISAIAH that lobby for policy changes to benefit disenfranchised groups. Bishop Foye believed that work was a practical example of being “light in the world” and it was also consistent with his lifelong commitment to improving conditions for African Americans in society. He served as confidant and consultant to the superintendents in both the Minneapolis and Saint Paul public school districts and for many years was a frequent visitor in the schools on behalf of CTAC youth, as well as youth outside the church. Many young people, especially young men, continued to view him as a surrogate grandfather, a role he took seriously. He considered it a tremendous honor when he received an honorary doctorate from St. Thomas College, because he was a strong proponent of lifelong learning and the pursuit of “excellence with enthusiasm.” Despite his retirement as CTAC’s senior pastor he continued to have a deep reverence for the Word of God, the things of God and for the people of God. He maintained a commitment to teaching saints the privilege they have of being saved - called by God - and encouraged them to pursue holiness and yield themselves to the Holy Ghost. His last pastoral assignment was to serve as interim pastor at Greater Bethlehem Temple World Ministries, in Milwaukee, WI, following the illness and death of their pastor, his close friend Suffragan Bishop Samuel Rogers. He described the two-year transitional role as one of the most challenging and ultimately most rewarding assignments of his ministerial career. At a farewell event hosted by the church in 2019, Bishop Foye said he felt like his assignment was successful because the church had found the right pastor and wife to carry the church to new heights. It was the same way he felt upon his retirement as pastor of CTAC, when Suffragan Bishop Jeffery L. Smith and his wife, Shari, were installed as the new pastor and first lady. He knew CTAC was in good hands. Bishop Foye was consistent and valued integrity above all else. He never wanted to have any deviation between his words and his actions. He was the same in public as he was in private. He loved and cherished his wife, Christina Anne, who was by his side when he passed peacefully at home. Along with his wife Christina, those left to mourn his passing are his daughter Suzanne P. Kelly, son Christian D. Russell, sisters Mable Moses (James deceased), Annie Doris Spruill and Bessie (H.B.) Barnes; four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, many nieces and nephews; numerous sons and daughters in the gospel, and a host of “young-uns” who lovingly referred to him as dad and granddad. Individually and collectively they all mourn his passing. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lucinda Foye, and his brothers John, Theodore (Cynthia), William (Pauline) and James (Bishop Jaqueline). Service information Suffragan Bishop Charles J. Foye will lie in repose from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 at Christ Temple Apostolic Church, 2651 N. Hamline Ave., Roseville, MN 55113. Friends and family are invited to come to the church and pay their respects during this time. Those in attendance will be required to follow COVID-19 safety precautions including social distancing and wearing a mask. A Virtual Homegoing Service will be broadcast on Saturday, Nov. 7th beginning at 11 a.m. (CST) on the Christ Temple Apostolic Church You Tube Channel and on the church’s Facebook site. Links for the service will be provided on the church’s website at https://www.ctacmn.org/ A private burial will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later time. Contributions In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Charles and Christina Foye College Scholarship Fund c/o Christ Temple Apostolic Church, 2651 N. Hamline Ave., Roseville, MN 55113.