Barbara Taylor

Anointed teacher, faithful servant of God, beloved mother, and grandmother, Elder Barbara June Rose Taylor, made heaven her home on January 9, 2023.  She was 72.

Barbara made her entrance into this world on February 5, 1950 in Beaver, Pa., born to parents Edwin Rose and Doris Gibson Rose. Growing up, she loved to sketch fashion designs, make clothes, bake, and study ballet. As a child, her neighbors would take her to Sunday School with them.

She graduated from Penn State University, State College, Pa., with a degree in Agricultural Economics. When asked why she picked that area of study, she simply responded, “I wanted to be a producer and not a consumer.”

In 2011, the university recognized her as the first black female intercollegiate athlete in the school’s history as a member of the Penn State Women’s Gymnastics team. She excelled at the uneven parallel bars. She also pledged with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and went on to attend graduate school at the University of Florida.

Barbara started her career with the Department of Agriculture and retired from the Pennsylvania Department of

Labor and Industry in 2011 as a supervisor. She modeled herself after “Judge Judy” because like the TV personality, it was her job to determine who was telling the truth

Barbara often told her children, “God can find you anywhere!” Elder Taylor did not grow up in church and as a young adult, was a follower of Islam. At 27 years old, she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and never looked back, laboring tirelessly and faithfully in every ministry where she held membership – Deliverance Temple Church of God in Christ, Aliquippa, Pa.; Christian Lighthouse Ministries, Aliquippa, Pa.; Greater Dominion Church, Ambridge, Pa.; and Word Impact Church, Lowell, NC.

A natural creative, she wrote, produced and directed original plays at Deliverance Temple, handling the meticulous details of casting, costuming, set design, and music. She also loved to sing Praise and Worship, sang in choirs and was an Intercessory Prayer Warrior.

As she grew in her spiritual walk, Bishop Alphonso Westley gave her the nickname “Ezra, the Ready Scribe.” Her greatest passion was studying and teaching the Word of God.

In 1997, she founded the Sunday School ministry at Greater Dominion Church where she served as superintendent for 18 years. A respected and celebrated teacher, she taught classes at district and state conferences within the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.

In 2000, Barbara became a licensed minister of the Gospel and traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of a team, doing ministry and evangelism. In the following years, she was twice ordained as an Elder.

While serving at Greater Dominion Church, she created and launched an annual summer celebration, the “Youth Explosion”, a free community event - a mix of music, entertainment, free food and most importantly, youth speakers who spread the Gospel.

In 2015, she graduated as class valedictorian from Harty Bible School in Pittsburgh, Pa.

In her final years, she taught Sunday School every week at Word Impact Church in Lowell, NC, under the leadership of Bishop Tony Fisher and Elder Vivian Fisher who celebrated and honored her gift to the ministry, both in word and in deed.

To her family, she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and loyal friend. When she wasn’t studying her weekly lesson, she liked to have fun and remained active in her advanced years. She loved riding her

bike, roller skating, playing 1-on-1 basketball with her grandson, and supporting her grandchildren at their rugby matches and football games. She even medaled in her age group at a 5k trail race.

Now that she has transitioned, Barbara is following her father Edwin Rose; mother, Doris Gibson Rose Penney; husband, Joseph L. Taylor; brothers Edwin Rose, Jr. and Melvin Rose; sister, Charlanne Penney; and sister-inlaw, Patty Taylor.

She is survived by her brother, Jamal Quyyum and his children; daughters, Kara Sakina Taylor, Jo Ann Taylor, and Angela Monique Taylor; grandchildren Joelle Alexandria Taylor and Joseph Carlin Thorne; nieces Rachel Rose, Virginia Bradley, and Kyra Bradley; nephews Richard Bradley, Richard Taylor and his children; grand-dog, Lizzie, a host of cousins, and the countless lives she has touched.