On Good Friday, June 9th, 2023, Christ The King Baptist Church members celebrated Carol Ann Simmons’s life.

“For 33 years, she served faithfully and dutifully at CTK. Her life is a testament to our theme, “Loving God, Others and Ourselves,”

Pastor John Wesley McVicker, Sr.

Per her obituary, Simmons led the Community Awareness and Seeds to Grow By Ministries and served on the Women in Ministry core group, the Planning and Steering Committee, Singles Ministry, and Abundant Life Senior Ministry. She also served as a church clerk at CTK.

“We’re better because God loaned her to us. She was deeply committed to what she said she was committed to. You can count on Carol. She truly will be missed.”

Pastor McVicker

Per the Obituary, Carol was baptized at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in East Moline, Illinois, and later joined Progressive.

Baptist Church in Davenport, Iowa. When she moved to Milwaukee in 1990, she united with Christ The King Baptist Church on December 2nd, 1990, under the leadership of Reverend John Wesley McVicker, Sr.

“Carol was the unofficial welcoming desk. {Seeds} were the welcoming committee, the official seeds Historian. She was thoughtful and compassionate, loved people, and was creative. She made personal design cards for family and friends.”

“She was faithful as a co-leader. Seeds Ministry was Pastor’s Ministry. You could always count on Carol. I loved and adored Caroll. She will be forever in our hearts.”

Christian Service, Linda Wilkinson

From the Obituary, Simmons enjoyed time with family and friends, dining out, playing cards, games, and singing to all types of music. Her hobbies were calligraphy, stamping, sewing, and making unique greeting cards. She also enjoyed sports, being an avid golfer, Green Bay Packer, and Milwaukee Bucks fan.

“Carol was the hug of our sister circle. She loved music and Food. I loved her. She was like a big sister to me. Surely, I will miss her.”

Friend, Cecily Keys-Kelly

“She loved her Pastor. She loved her church.”

Family, Barber Chester

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

King James Version (KJV)

“You never heard her complain. She loved eating, singing, and talking on the telephone. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism-she highlighted all the songs she loved. Rest well.”

Family, Barber Chester added.

Per the Obituary, Carol received numerous awards for services and achievements during her life. She received the Civil and Human Rights Award from the Communication Workers of America APRI Milwaukee Chapter and the Julian A. Modjeski Union Builder Award. Eastern Iowa, Northwestern Illinois AFL-CIO inducted Caroll.

“If you needed to know something, you could call Caroll. She was the church police. Let her not see you at church on a Sunday. My friend, you are in no more pain. See you later.”

Friend, Carla Washington

After Simmons retired from Lucent Technologies in 1993, she returned to work as the secretary for Progressive Baptist Church, under the Pastoral Leadership of Dr. Rolen Womack, for ten years. 

“She saved all her love for Christ The King. She always protected my study time. She allowed me time to grind. She understood the church, its members, and time management. She took care of me. Carol loved Food and Christmas music. Proclivity is she knew how many facial tissues I used.”

Dr. Rolen Womack

Dr. Womack made an inside joke about him and Simmons. 

  “When I see you on the other side, I will bring one tissue, and we won’t need it.”

Dr. Rolen Womack

Brenda Cullen, A Phillip Randolph Institute (ARI), read The Proclamation and the Acknowledgments and Resolutions by CTK’s Church Clerk, Niko Owens. 

Remembering Simmons, Pastor McVicker added, “She made many investments.”

Friday’s evening message is entitled, A Hope for the Future.

2nd Corinthians 5: 1-6.

5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

³ If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

⁴ For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

⁵ Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2nd Corinthinas 5:1-6

“I’m thankful to all those who spoke-you eulogized her.”

“Pain equals remedies of humankind. Life recoils people who were well therein—temporary reprieves. Remember catastrophe, poverty, and war. Happen daily. Life is temporary. We live here, sing with God, and hope for the future. Caroll worked until her tent was beyond repair. Where do we find the fields of hope? The invisible work is accurate. 

People deemed life after death preposterous. All you have is now. All around us are examples of when you are dead, you’re done.

Word of God says, Hebrews 9:27-28

²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Hebrews 9: 27-28

The day of justice is coming; He wipes away every tear. The world is out of balance. People suffer. The present is not all there is; the best is yet. A tent succumbs to the elements. It resides, leaks, fears, and is no longer helpful. Our bodies are a temporary structure. We want to be selfish and keep people here, but Carol’s tent was leaked. We were praying for them the stay, but her tent was leaking. Carol stayed faithful until her tent was beyond repair.