On Good Friday, April 2, family, friends, church members and elected offi cials gathered at the Miracle Revival Temple COGIC, 1555 Macombs Road, where it was offi cially renamed Bishop
Ceacer Gooding Road.
Street renamed for Bishop Ceacer Gooding
BY JASON COHEN
Bishop Ceacer Gooding
served the community for more
than fi ve decades impacting
many lives. While he passed
away seven years ago, his name
will now live on forever.
On Good Friday, April 2,
Gooding’s family, friends,
church members and elected offi
cials gathered at the Miracle
Revival Temple COGIC, 1555
Macombs Road, where it was offi
cially renamed Bishop Ceacer
Gooding Road.
His son, Pastor Jay Gooding,
refl ected on his late father
and how important the street
renaming is. Gooding stressed
how the bishop was a community
worker who opened the
church doors to everyone.
“It gives me great pleasure
that today that the street of Macombs
Road at Mt. Eden Ave. will
also carry the name of and legacy
of my father Bishop Ceacer
Gooding,” Gooding said.
In 1969, Bishop Gooding
along with his wife, Evangelist
Josephine Gooding founded
Miracle Revival Center Church
in Harlem. A year later they relocated
it to the Bronx.
Known as the “Radio
Preacher” for 19 years, Gooding
was the recipient of numerous
honors and awards. He was
a “sought after” guest speaker
and counselor.
Joann Canion speaks about her dad.
Gooding served his country
in the Korean War and suffered
a brain injury, which paralyzed
his right side. Doctors didn’t
have much faith in his recovery,
his son explained.
“But he learned how to walk
and talk again and lived for 61
years with a plate in his head,”
Gooding said.
Joann Canion, one of the
bishop’s daughters, reminisced
about her dad. She explained
that he was much more than a
preacher.
Canion recalled how he often
took the family to Orchard
Beach and treated them to IHOP
and White Castle after church
services.
“My father everyone speaks
of him as a pastor, which he did
great work there,” Canion said.
“He was a good leader, but he
was a good daddy. He did for his
church, but he also did for his
family.”
Among the elected offi cials
at the event were Council Members
Vanessa Gibson and Mark
Gjonaj. Gibson recalled how a
year ago Pastor Gooding came
to her seeking a way to memorialize
his dad.
Gibson then seized the bull
by the horns and got the wheels
in motion for a street renaming.
“We’re joined together on
this Good Friday to recognize
the life and legacy and labor of
love for the late great Bishop
Ceacer Gooding,” Gibson commented.
BRONX TIMES R 36 EPORTER, APR. 9-15, 2021 BTR
CM Gibson speaks about the late bishop.