The journey of Evangelist Josephine Gooding began April 23, 1935 in Athens, Georgia, where she was born to the union of Andrew and Rosa Lee Ford. After the death of her mother, she was raised by her uncle and aunt, Wade and Estella Ward who later relocated to Brooklyn, New York. There Josephine attended school and later went to work at Nedicks, where she worked one Sunday in her life, “Easter Sunday, March. 1952.”. It was there on that Sunday that she met her husband, Ceacer Gooding.
As time went on, her aunt finally permitted him to visit Josephine and after an extended friendship Ceacer and Josephine became engaged and were married on November 29, 1952. from this union four (4 ) children were born, JoAnn, Ceacer Jr., Chanel and Jay. She is the grandmother of thirteen(13) grandchildren and great – grandmother of nineteen (19) great grandchildren.
As a young lady, Evang. Gooding was a faithful member of the First Church of God in Christ, located in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was at First Church, under the leadership of Bishop Frank Clemmons, that she began her ministry, first on the Jr. Choir., then serving on the Deaconess Board and Jr. Ushers Board and later accepted “The Word” ministry. Evangelist Gooding received her Evangelist license at the young age of 16, after the recommendations of Bishop Clemmons through Mother Payton and Bishop O.M. Kelly.
After moving into Manhattan, Evang. Gooding joined Gospel Temple Church of America where she served on the Missionary Board, Choir and Hospitality Committees under the late Bishop Benjamin H. Brodie. She became the First Lady of Gospel Temple Church of America in 1965, when her husband, Elder Ceacer Gooding succeeded Bishop Brody as pastor after his demise.
In 1969, Elder Ceacer Gooding and Evang. Josephine Gooding began their ministry for the Lord, founding Miracle Revival Temple now located in the Bronx, where Evang. Gooding served as co-pastor for over 53 years. She served as the Tuesday Night Bible Study Instructor, president of the Women’s Department, and as director of Vacation Bible School, outreach ministries, street ministries, house to house visitation and the prison and hospital ministries.
Evang. Gooding was a member of the Ministers Wives and Ministers Widows Association serving on the International, State and Local levels since 1978. She served as the President’s Aide on the International level for the International President, Dr. Muriel Johnson-Providence and in the Dean’s Office. Evang. Gooding served as corresponding secretary of the New York State Ministers Wives and Widows Association. She served as financial secretary and also the corresponding secretary of the Interdenominational Ministers Wives Association and as a member of the Church of God in Christ Ministers Wives Association, where she served as Chairperson of the Problem Clinic, under the leadership of he late Mother Bessie Kelly. Evang. Gooding presently serves as a member of the 44th Precinct Coalition Clergy Coalition, also as a member of C.H.I.P.S. (Chaplains Helping in Police Situations).
She was a graduate of the Manhattan Bible Institute of New York City, New York Theological Seminary ( English Certificate Program) , also The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, N.Y. where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and Religious Studies and her Masters degree in the Science of Early Childhood Education. She had a wonderful career teaching the students at Public School 291 in the Bronx for many, many years until her retirement in 1998.
She worked side by side with her youngest child, Supt. Jay A. Gooding Sr. in co-pastoring, since he was appointed as pastor of Miracle Revival Temple COGIC in February of 2009 by his father, the late Bishop Ceacer Gooding.
July 1, 2023 , Evangelist Josephine Gooding went home to be with the Lord. In honor of her contributions to the community and her legacy of Love for God’s people, she was memorialized by the co-naming of a street location on West Mount Eden Avenue and Macombs Road, also known as “Evangelist Josephine Gooding Place”.
Evangelist Josephine Gooding said, “To God Be the Glory” and “May the Work I Do Speak for Me”