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Joseph Douglas Tull
Posted 5/3/08
Joseph Douglas Tull, 87 DOVER - Presiding Elder Joseph D. Tull, of Dover, departed this life Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover. He was 87. He was born in …
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Joseph Douglas Tull
Posted
Joseph Douglas Tull, 87
DOVER - Presiding Elder Joseph D. Tull, of Dover, departed this life Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover. He was 87.
He was born in Philadelphia on April 27, 1921, to Damon W. and Cleo R. Tull.
Joseph was a son of the Parsonage, as his father before him was a pastor and presiding elder.
He received his formal education in Philadelphia.
Joseph was converted at an early age at his home church, St. Matthew AME in Philadelphia.
Presiding Elder Tull was a graduate of Philadelphia College of Bible, and attended Temple University in Philadelphia.
He is the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from Monrovia College.
He was ordained an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the hand of Bishop George W. Baber, and so began his pastoral sojourn at Ben Salem AME Church, where he served for one year.
Other pastorates include Allen Chapel AME in Atlantic City, N.J., followed by Bethel AME in Milford, where he pastored from 1969 to 1977.
By divine favor and human prognostication, Joseph was appointed presiding elder of the Dover District of the Delaware Conference in April 1977 by Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand.
He remained as such for 26 years and supervised 20 churches in the Dover District.
His dedicated service to the Kingdom of God in general and to his Zion, the African Methodist Episcopal Church specifically, was lived out as he was elected delegate to three General Conferences, and served on the Episcopal Committee for two General Conferences.
Joseph was a member of the trustee board for the Delaware Conference, consultant for the Board of Examiners, treasurer of the First District Ministerial Education Fund, and treasurer of the Delaware Conference.
Presiding Elder Tull was also appointed accountant for the First Episcopal District by Bishop Philip R. Cousin, and additionally served in this capacity under the episcopacy of the late Bishop Donald G.K. Ming and past presiding prelate, Bishop Zedekiah L. Grady. He is the founder of the "New" John Wesley AME Church Deliverance Center in Dover.
Presiding Elder Tull was formerly employed by the U.S. Post Office for 22 years.
He also served in the U.S. Army from 1942-46 in the 92nd Buffalo Infantry Division and was honorably discharged as a master sergeant with a Purple Heart, having served in World War II in Italy.
Dedicated to kingdom-building and service to humanity, Presiding Elder Tull has a host of accomplishments in many arenas of life.
Elder Tull substituted for many years in the Milford School District.
He was a positive influence in the lives of many young black men.
He was the first black to speak at a Milford High School commencement ceremony; instrumental in breaking racial barriers for membership in the Milford Fire Co.; former member of the Milford Fire Co.; the first black to run for mayor in Harrington; instrumental in development of subsidized housing for low income persons: built 80 units of town houses and apartments in Milford; served on the board for an additional 12 units of single family houses in Milford, Lucia Circle; past president of the Milford Housing Development Corp.; has a street named for him, Tull Way; served on the board of directors, Harrington Senior Center and Harrington Day Care; member of the Delaware Community Reinvestment Act Committee; a member of the Foundation Board – Bayhealth Medical Center, and was president of the board of directors for the Topoko Foundation, and a private medical center, Dr. Tutse Tonwe, Founder.
On Dec. 6, 2006, Presiding Elder Tull was presented the Omega Religious Award by Psi Iota Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. of Dover, and was honored at the "Back to Bethel Homecoming Celebration" in Milford, by the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, which presented him the American Flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol on March 5, 2007, at the request of Delaware Sen. Thomas R. Carper, in honor of Black History Month, along with a distinguish Buffalo Soldier Award.
Joseph is loved and will be greatly missed by his devoted wife, Charlotte; seven children, Rev. Deborah Tull-Speakes, Charles (April), Harry, James (Barbara), Wanda and Carolyn Browne, and Faith Ann Lamb; 10 grandchildren, Jamal (Bernadette), Jeremiah, Jamie, Vanessa, Terence, James, Ian, Dominque, LaTonya, and Cherdae; two great-grandchildren; Shara and Jamal Jr.; four brothers-in-law, Andrew (Bessie) Sullivan, Philip (Evelyn) Dixon, the Rev. Walter (Constanvila) Dixon, and Harry (Debbie) Dixon; charter adopted families, Charles and Shamaine Moore and their children, Seleena, Catrena and Chaz, Theresa and Donnie Barlow; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and many many friends.
Viewing will be from 7-9 p.m. Sunday in the Mount Zion AME Church, Queen and Fulton streets, Dover.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday in the Mount Zion AME Church, Queen and Fulton streets, Dover, where friends may also call two hours prior to the service.
Interment will be in the Mount Zion AME Church Cemetery, Ellendale.
Arrangements are being handled by Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Dover.
DOVER - Presiding Elder Joseph D. Tull, of Dover, departed this life Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover. He was 87.
He was born in Philadelphia on April 27, 1921, to Damon W. and Cleo R. Tull.
Joseph was a son of the Parsonage, as his father before him was a pastor and presiding elder.
He received his formal education in Philadelphia.
Joseph was converted at an early age at his home church, St. Matthew AME in Philadelphia.
Presiding Elder Tull was a graduate of Philadelphia College of Bible, and attended Temple University in Philadelphia.
He is the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from Monrovia College.
He was ordained an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the hand of Bishop George W. Baber, and so began his pastoral sojourn at Ben Salem AME Church, where he served for one year.
Other pastorates include Allen Chapel AME in Atlantic City, N.J., followed by Bethel AME in Milford, where he pastored from 1969 to 1977.
By divine favor and human prognostication, Joseph was appointed presiding elder of the Dover District of the Delaware Conference in April 1977 by Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand.
He remained as such for 26 years and supervised 20 churches in the Dover District.
His dedicated service to the Kingdom of God in general and to his Zion, the African Methodist Episcopal Church specifically, was lived out as he was elected delegate to three General Conferences, and served on the Episcopal Committee for two General Conferences.
Joseph was a member of the trustee board for the Delaware Conference, consultant for the Board of Examiners, treasurer of the First District Ministerial Education Fund, and treasurer of the Delaware Conference.
Presiding Elder Tull was also appointed accountant for the First Episcopal District by Bishop Philip R. Cousin, and additionally served in this capacity under the episcopacy of the late Bishop Donald G.K. Ming and past presiding prelate, Bishop Zedekiah L. Grady. He is the founder of the "New" John Wesley AME Church Deliverance Center in Dover.
Presiding Elder Tull was formerly employed by the U.S. Post Office for 22 years.
He also served in the U.S. Army from 1942-46 in the 92nd Buffalo Infantry Division and was honorably discharged as a master sergeant with a Purple Heart, having served in World War II in Italy.
Dedicated to kingdom-building and service to humanity, Presiding Elder Tull has a host of accomplishments in many arenas of life.
Elder Tull substituted for many years in the Milford School District.
He was a positive influence in the lives of many young black men.
He was the first black to speak at a Milford High School commencement ceremony; instrumental in breaking racial barriers for membership in the Milford Fire Co.; former member of the Milford Fire Co.; the first black to run for mayor in Harrington; instrumental in development of subsidized housing for low income persons: built 80 units of town houses and apartments in Milford; served on the board for an additional 12 units of single family houses in Milford, Lucia Circle; past president of the Milford Housing Development Corp.; has a street named for him, Tull Way; served on the board of directors, Harrington Senior Center and Harrington Day Care; member of the Delaware Community Reinvestment Act Committee; a member of the Foundation Board – Bayhealth Medical Center, and was president of the board of directors for the Topoko Foundation, and a private medical center, Dr. Tutse Tonwe, Founder.
On Dec. 6, 2006, Presiding Elder Tull was presented the Omega Religious Award by Psi Iota Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. of Dover, and was honored at the "Back to Bethel Homecoming Celebration" in Milford, by the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, which presented him the American Flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol on March 5, 2007, at the request of Delaware Sen. Thomas R. Carper, in honor of Black History Month, along with a distinguish Buffalo Soldier Award.
Joseph is loved and will be greatly missed by his devoted wife, Charlotte; seven children, Rev. Deborah Tull-Speakes, Charles (April), Harry, James (Barbara), Wanda and Carolyn Browne, and Faith Ann Lamb; 10 grandchildren, Jamal (Bernadette), Jeremiah, Jamie, Vanessa, Terence, James, Ian, Dominque, LaTonya, and Cherdae; two great-grandchildren; Shara and Jamal Jr.; four brothers-in-law, Andrew (Bessie) Sullivan, Philip (Evelyn) Dixon, the Rev. Walter (Constanvila) Dixon, and Harry (Debbie) Dixon; charter adopted families, Charles and Shamaine Moore and their children, Seleena, Catrena and Chaz, Theresa and Donnie Barlow; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and many many friends.
Viewing will be from 7-9 p.m. Sunday in the Mount Zion AME Church, Queen and Fulton streets, Dover.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday in the Mount Zion AME Church, Queen and Fulton streets, Dover, where friends may also call two hours prior to the service.
Interment will be in the Mount Zion AME Church Cemetery, Ellendale.
Arrangements are being handled by Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Dover.
