Reverend Doctor Juanita Greene of Charleston, SC transitioned from labor to reward and eternal rest on Friday, February 2, 2024 in Enterprise, AL. She was born on October 31, 1950 and is the eldest child of the late Mr. James W. Greene and Mrs. Julia Mae (Cross) Greene. She is the granddaughter of the late Rev. Edmund Jacob Cross of Morris Brown and Ward African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Churches, Philadelphia, PA.
Nita, as family and friends affectionately knew her, grew up in Ebenezer AME Church in Charleston, SC under the leadership of the late Rev. B.J. Finklea. She graduated from Charles A. Brown High School, where she participated in numerous activities to include the senior and junior choirs, the All City Choir, and theatrical productions. Rev. Dr. Greene attended the University of South Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Music and later earned a Master of Music from Michigan State University. As a Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellow, she completed Post Graduate study at Columbia University, NY. She also earned a Master of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry in Bible from Covington Theological Seminary, GA. As a student of music, she embraced the concert stage as she began her professional career as an opera singer performing for audiences across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. After a successful career in music, she transitioned to a career in social services, clinical counseling, and community development and worked for several years with organizations including the New York City Housing Authority and Fresh Air Fund.
Rev. Dr. Greene, a devoted servant of God, embarked on her ministerial journey with unwavering faith and dedication. Her response to the call of ministry took her first to Staten Island, NY, where she established the Park Hill Outreach Ministry, which provided for the spiritual and social needs of the people there. She became an ordained minister in 1986 with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church and devoted her life to others. Over a distinguished career as a full-time minister, she pastored several churches to include Peoples AMEZ Church, Carteret, NJ; Thompkin Chapel Metropolitan AMEZ Church, Chattanooga, TN; Alleyne Memorial AMEZ Church, Philadelphia, PA; and Saint Paul AMEZ Church, Johnson City, TN. Under the administrations of the late Bishop Enoch Benjamin Rochester and Bishop Warren Matthew Brown, she also served on the mission fields of the AMEZ Church in Central and South Africa (Malawi, Johannesburg, St. Pietersburg, Seshego, and Durban). Additionally, she served as an assistant dean at Covington Theological Seminary and served on the ministerial staff at Simon Temple AMEZ Church, Fayetteville, NC. At the time of her transition, she was a faithful member of Johns Chapel AME Church, Enterprise, AL.
Rev. Dr. Greene continued her service and advocacy efforts through her affiliations with the National Council of Negro Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Staten Island AIDS Task Force, The President’s Advisory Board of the College of Staten Island, the Multicultural Peer Leadership Program, Students Against Violence Everywhere, the Clergy Koinonia of Greater Chattanooga & Vicinity, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and many other organizations. Her commitment to faith, service, and community exemplified the transformative power of God’s grace. She has been a pastor, leader, teacher, advocate, and innovator and has served with integrity, distinction, and resolve.
Rev. Dr. Greene is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Angela Nadine Greene; brothers, Cecil William Greene and James Anthony Greene; and niece, Breanna Janei Greene. She leaves a legacy of love and is survived by her two daughters, Andria Nicole Greene, Schenectady, NY and Meredith Renee Greene, Enterprise, AL; son, Michael Alexander Greene, Oaklyn, NJ; family matriarch and cousin, Mrs. Anna Ford and her husband, James Ford; siblings, Rev. Patricia G. Edwards, Ms. Shirley A. Greene, Rev. Pamela L. Ward, Leonard E. Greene, and Kevin L. Greene. She is also survived by nieces and nephews, Aaron Jacob, Monica Gale, Angel Elisabeth, Brittany Janelle, Breina Jayde, and Brah’e Jose.’
Rev. Dr. Greene will be laid to rest in Whitehall, SC on February 17, 2024 with services at Whitehall A.M.E. Church followed by internment at Pynes Community Cemetery. Visitation will start at 11:30am and the funeral service will start at 1pm.
