| MariahCarey: 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning' Psalms 30:5 On July 3rd, my Pastor, Bishop Clarence Keaton passed away. He treated me like a daughter, with so sincere much love. He will be truly missed. (Obviously I meant: w/so much sincere love) My love and prayers are with the First Lady of the Church, Sister Keaton, and their whole family. NickCannon: Rest in peace Bishop Clarence Vermont Keaton... When we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord. |
Reverend Dr. Clarence Keaton served as pastor and overseer of True Worship Church and Presiding Bishop and Founder of the True Worship Church Worldwide Ministries in Brooklyn, New York. Mariah, who is a member of True Worship Church, had been blessed by Dr. Keaton with his spiritual guidance and words of encouragement. He appeared on Mariah's Grammy Award winning gospel single, "Fly Like A Bird" and on the finale song from E=MC², "I Wish You Well." Pastor Keaton also joined Mariah in live performances of "Fly Like a Bird" on Good Morning America in 2005, during the The Adventures of Mimi tour on the stages of Madison Square Garden in New York and Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey; and at the 2006 Grammy Awards where he declared before more than fifty million viewers that "Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. He said He'll never forsake you, nor leave you alone."
Mariah has mentioned Pastor Clarence Keaton with love and admiration in a slew of interviews and we quote some of them below.
Rolling Stone (Jan. 31, 2005): "There are also songs with a little bit of meaning behind them." She dubs the 'inspirational' record 'Fly Like a Bird' the album's 'most introspective moment, and the most powerful vocally and lyrically.' The pastor from Carey's church, Pastor Clarence Keaton, actually speaks on the track. 'So it's a really special song for me,' she confesses."
Ms London (July 4, 2005): "The man who is speaking on that track - Fly Like A Bird - is my pastor from my church - Pastor Clarence Keaton. He's a really great person, and he's very down-to-earth. You can talk to him about spiritual things, obviously, but he's just also someone you'd enjoy spending time with. A lot of young people go to his church. It's not about being trendy thing or about being famous or dressing up, it's about having a positive experience. I wanted to start the song out with that, as I feel that for all the people who don't ever get that message but need it, I can be conduit. So someone who isn't expecting to hear that, can now hear it and it may now change their attitude or thoughts on things."
Esquire (October 2005): She just wants to convey how much she's learned from God, The Bible and the True Worship Church, which sits opposite a housing project in Brooklyn. "People still don't believe I really go there," she says, despite her pastor, Reverend Dr. Clarence Keaton, appearing on the new album's final track, "Fly Like A Bird". Mariah thinks the line he quotes from Psalms 30.5 - "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" - is particularly pertinent. "It's a message needed so bad at one point in my life," she says, "and nobody said it. That's why I was so grateful when he thought of that passage."
Ebony (August 2006): "I really give credit for everything to God. Everything I have is because He has given it to me. So if I've had to go through some times that were a little difficult, and where some people had some different opinions about me - they still do and always will - but as long as I have that unconditional love from God, and I realize that no matter what, He is the one who will always be here for me, regardless. For this particular moment in my life, I've been able to have a really good relationship with my pastor, the Rev. Clarence Keaton of True Worship Church. He's just really a great person. That is something that has really helped me."
People (May 19, 2008): Wedding to Nick Cannon at the Bahamas: "My pastor Clarence Keaton flew in from New York. The whole wedding was really beautiful and sweet. Being there with loved ones under the sky... it was a spiritual moment."
Below, watch Mariah performing "Fly Like a Bird" with a special appearance by Reverend Dr. Clarence Keaton at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
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