NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hundreds of people gathered at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church to bid a final farewell to Bishop Marcus Campbell, a beloved Nashville pastor and community leader who passed away at the age of 49 due to heart problems.
Despite the sorrow felt by his family and friends, they're determined to carry on his legacy.
Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Associate Pastor Jason Hughes worked with Bishop Campbell. He spoke about the importance of continuing the work he started.
"It's a time for us to rejoice even though we miss him. We still have a part of him with us that we need to keep building on the legacy he left," Pastor Hughes said.
Trying to summarize all the good work Bishop Campbell did for his community is a difficult task, as he touched the lives of many.
"He inspired everyone," Sarieda Evans, a close friend of Bishop Campbell, said.
At his funeral, everyone present had a story to share about the impact Bishop Campbell had on their lives.
"I called on him when I lost my husband, my sister, and my brother," Annetta Churchwell, another friend, expressed.
Judge Sheila Calloway of the Juvenile Court spoke about Bishop Campbell's unwavering support for troubled youth.
"He was literally the one organization I could always count on to take that one kid that nobody else wanted to take, nobody else wanted to give a chance," Judge Calloway said.
"He changed this city, changed the lives of kids, and he was a model of redemption and forgiveness," Former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell said.
Campbell was born and raised in Music City. His journey to becoming a pastor was a transformative one.
"I saw him when he was in the gang life. But God touched him, and he started loving on all these children and pulling them out of the community," Churchwell said.
Bishop Campbell turned the negative connotation of the word "GANG" into something positive by starting an organization called Gentleman and not Gangsters.
Through this program, he taught young men how to tie a tie and how to shake hands, and he provided them with positive role models.
"He was a father figure to them, and many of them have turned their lives around because of Marcus Campbell," Bishop Sandy McClain of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church expressed.
In January, NewsChannel 5's Aaron Cantrell sat down with Bishop Campbell and CJ Douglas, a young man who graduated from the Gentleman and not Gangsters program.
CJ shared his admiration for Bishop Campbell.
"When I had something else to look up to, which is him, I saw you can change. You don't have to keep doing this the same way you've been doing this," he said.
Saying goodbye is never easy, but it is through the lives of young people like CJ that Bishop Campbell's legacy will continue to thrive.
"His legacy is that second chance that he got himself, and that he wanted to make sure that every youth had the opportunity to have that second chance," Judge Calloway said.
Both Mayor John Cooper and Metro Police Chief John Drake attended Bishop Campbell's funeral.
Bishop Marcus Campbell was laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery North.
