Ida Mae Davis

Our beloved Evangelist, Missionary, mother, aunt and friend Evangelist Ida Mae Davis affectionately known as “Sister” was called to be with the Lord on Friday, October 11, 2024, in her home in Norfolk, VA. Ida Mae Davis was the 11^th child born to Will and Ida Davis.

Evangelist Davis graduated from Booker T. Washington high school in Norfolk, Virginia. She went to Washington School for tailoring and was a seamstress. She was also a short order cook, and everyone loved her cooking. Frying fish and crabs were her specialty, collard greens, chitterlings, pig feet, homemade rolls and noodles are some of the dishes that she is famous for preparing. She took business courses at Virginia Union University now Norfolk State University. She used the business acumen that she learned to start her own poultry and seafood restaurant. Evang. Davis could sell anything. She was an insurance agent for Home Beneficial now American General, an Amway sales consultant and an AVON associate. During her eighties to further her biblical studies, she took biblical courses at Heaven’s Haven Institute in Richmond, Virginia. She received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity at Spirit of Truth Institute in Baltimore, MD.

Evangelist Davis was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost in 1933 at the early age of twelve years old. She started singing in the choir and playing a guitar and many would come to hear her sing. She is a renowned Church of God in Christ Pioneer in the Virginia 2^nd Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. She has served faithfully in the COGIC under five Bishops: Bishop David Love, Bishop D. Lawrence Williams, Bishop Samuel L. Green, Jr., Bishop Wilbur L. Daniels, Sr. and Bishop Michael Golden Jr. and five State Supervisors: Mother Beaulah Dabney, Mother Mary Featherston, Mother Mary Powell and Mother Jacquelin Holmes. She has come up through the ranks of the Women’s Department of our great Church serving at the local level as Sunday School Superintendent, Youth Leader and the Pastor’s Aide President. At the District level, she served in many auxiliaries and in many capacities, but her favorite was head of the Consecration Union. She was licensed as a Blood Trail Missionary, Deaconess Missionary, Evangelist Missionary and National Evangelist. In 1968, she was appointed by the late Bishop D. Lawrence Williams and late State Supervisor Beaulah Dabney as District Missionary of the Berkley District. In this capacity she has served under three Superintendents the late D. Harvey Dunlap, the late Wilbert Daniels, Sr. and present Supt. Anthony Daniels, Sr. where she faithfully served until 2017 when she was appointed District Missionary Emerita. She was drawn to go out into the hedges and highways and share the gospel with those who were lost. She started and established four churches in Chesapeake and Norfolk, Virginia: Faith Temple COGIC, Refuge COGIC, Alpha & Omega COGIC and Gospel Light COGIC. The late jurisdictional prelate of the 2nd Ecclesiastes Diocese of Virginia Bishop Samuel L. Green, Jr., encouraged and allowed her unique ministerial gifts to flourish under his dynamic jurisdictional leadership reign and the late Bishop Wilbert L. Daniels, Sr. who was her former superintendent of the Berkley District fostered the same encouragement as well once he was appointed jurisdictional prelate. She always obeyed leadership and those who had rule over her. She has served in the Virginia Second Jurisdiction on the Jurisdiction Finance Committee, as the personal aid to State Supervisors Beaulah Dabney and Mary Featherston, the Missionary Catechization Board and the State Supervisor’s Executive Board. She like Priscilla in Acts of the Apostles has taking many unto herself and expounded upon them the way of God more perfectly. She is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. She has ministered in revivals and crusades on the Eastern Coast from South Carolina to New York and has spoken for many denominations including the COGIC, Church of God, Assemblies of God, Assemblies of Yahweh, Baptist, Southern Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Methodist and Disciples of Christ. Countless souls have been saved through her ministry spanning over 70 years! She has a God given ability to share the gospel in such a way that even a child could understand while sternly rebuking sin, calling sinners to repentance all while sprinkling in humor.

She leaves to cherish her memory her devoted adopted daughters, Didre Robinson of Norfolk, VA and Denise (Luther) Davis of Owings Mills, MD; her grandchildren Luther and Laythan Davis of Owings Mills, MD; like a daughter Lovie Hawkins of VA Beach, VA and Barbara Valerie of VA Beach, VA; those who chauffeured and served her faithfully Sylvia Freeman of Chesapeake, VA, Elmira “Gail” Black of Norfolk, VA, Celestine Watt of Virginia Beach, VA, Elder Patrick O’Neal (Shannold) of Chesapeake, Virginia, Joseph Spence of Virginia Beach, VA and Michael Bright of Chesapeake, VA; devoted neighbor, Pastor Janet Hazel of Norfolk, VA; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Like the Proverbs 31 virtuous woman, her own works praise her in the gates. Well done thy good and faithful servant, Evangelist Ida M. Davis! She was faithful over a few things and the Lord has made her ruler over many. With our cherished memories the cover of life’s book is closed of one we loved so well but the loving deeds of bygone days are what the pages tell.