Charles Sims
The community and Calvary Community Church are mourning the loss of retired pastor Bishop Charles Sims who died Thursday, leaving behind a legacy that will be felt for generations to come.
Sims moved to Columbus in the 1970s with his wife, pastor and teacher Jane Sims, where he would go on to found the Calvary Community Church and serve as its pastor until retiring in 2022. He was recently honored with the Beloved Community Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. CommUNITY Breakfast on Monday, with his son John accepting the awards on his behalf.
During the breakfast, Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon also proclaimed Feb. 1 as Bishop Charles Sims Day in recognition of his work in the community. She described Sims as a true beacon in the community, being instrumental in setting up the Community Police Review Board and meeting regularly with human rights commission members, mayors and the police department.
“… from my perspective as my role of mayor, I’m most proud of the impact that he had on the community… he was unafraid to speak about what was important and he truly valued this community and he wanted to make it a better place for everyone, and I believe his impact will be felt for generations because of that,” Ferdon said. “I know that he’s been a mentor to so many people who now their goal is to carry out the work that he started. He was also a strong partner with his wife, Jane, and I know that she shared in his goals for making this community a better place.”
NAACP President Johnnie Edwards said his father and Bishop Sims worked together in the ministry as pastors, and it was this relationship that helped Edwards understand what it is to be a leader. He said Bishop Sims would be one to sit with him and encourage, guide and offer advice to him, and believes he was most proud of the impact he made in guiding those in the community to a better relationship with God.
While Ferdon said she is mourning the loss of Sims, she is glad the city was able to honor him with the proclamation.
Edwards said it was an honor to have known him and prays that the Columbus community will continue to allow his legacy to live on through all of our lives.
“I would say as someone that’s only known him a short amount of time as I have compared to others, I think one of the greatest legacies that he has done is left nuggets of wisdom, the ability to understand all walks of life here in this community,” Edwards said. “Bishop Sims was someone who resembled or just gave you the idea what Jesus Christ was like in the biblical days. He offered guidance to all, he did not exclude. He found a way to include everyone.”
