Jehovah's Witness church plans memorial for Prince

[Guest Nicole]

MINNETONKA, Minn. - To most people, he was known as Prince. But to a select and private few, he was known as "Brother Prince."

Prince was a member of the local St. Louis Park congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. And this Sunday, a memorial service has been planned at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Lake Street Ext. to celebrate his life.

Brother George Cook is an elder with the church and said Prince was last there on March 23 – the day Jehovah's Witnesses across the world commemorated the death of Jesus.

On Sunday, those who worshipped with Prince will say goodbye during a private funeral. Prince's family has been invited but declined to attend. They say the service was not organized by the family and Prince's ashes will not be present. 

While the number of expected attendees has not been released, Minnetonka Police will help provide traffic control for the area, as the hall is located in a quiet residential neighborhood. The service is invite only.

Cook said Kingdom Hall seats 514 people -- hundreds are expected to attend.

He said the private service on Sunday will be like any other funeral for a member. Along with singing, an elder from the congregation will offer words of comfort based on scripture.

A member of the congregation said Jehovah's Witnesses from two other congregations will be bused in. The service was intended to be kept private but has now gone public.

The service is planned for Sunday at 5 p.m.

Tyka Nelson, Prince's sister, wrote a post on Facebook saying they're planning an August funeral for him. 

Source: http://www.kare11.com/entertainment/people/prince/jehovahs-witness-church-plans-memorial-for-prince/190536817

[Jack Ryan]

So what exactly DISQUALIFIES You For a for a Kingdom Hall service these days?

How many rank and file JW's have been disqualified weddings and funerals in Kingdom Halls for relatively minor infractions compared to this guy?

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According to TMZ, Prince developed an addiction to the controlled substance Percocet after a hip operation in 2010.

KTSP reported that Prince attended an out-patient rehab program to combat his reliance on prescription medicine.

A man who said he was Prince's illegal drug dealer told Daily Mail Online exclusively that the singer used opiates for over 25 years.

The dealer claimed Prince would spend up to $40,000 a time on six-month supplies of Dilaudid pills and Fentanyl patches - both highly addictive opioid pain killers.

TMZ also claims Prince nearly died from an overdose six days before his death.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3566707/Prince-rehab-Percocet-addiction-multiple-doctors-writing-prescriptions.html#ixzz48Z9h4LO5
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Reports of the possible role of painkillers in Prince's death have been prominent in tabloid coverage since his still-mysterious emergency treatment at a hospital a week before he was found dead at Paisley Park.
Those reports were bolstered this week by Michael Padden, an attorney for two of Prince’s deceased half-siblings, who told reporters and local investigators that his clients informed him more than a decade ago that Prince had “substantial” drug problems with the opioid painkiller Percocet and cocaine.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/p...ener/83638886/

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Prince Taught Me What a Threesome Was

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/snoop-dogg-prince-taught-threesome-article-1.2631313

[Jack Ryan]

Tyka Nelson Not Down with Witnesses’ Memorial for Prince

*Wow. Talk about a super serious diss to the Jehovah’s Witnesses church.
Prince‘s sister, Tyka Nelson, is making it crystal clear that she’s NOT down with Sunday’s memorial planned by his church — and the family won’t be participating.
“Let me make myself VERY CLEAR! I nor my brother’s remains will be present at any Memorial or Funeral services, until the families Memorial/Funeral/Tribute,” declared Tyka in a Facebook posting.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Minnetonka, Minnesota — where Prince worshiped — announced a private service this weekend. According to local 5 Eyewitness News 300-500 guests are expected, including “high profile” persons.
On the other hand, Tyka says she supports all memorials because the grieving process is unique to everyone who was connected to Prince, but wanted fans to know this weekend’s service is NOT the highly anticipated public tribute.
READ RELATED STORY: Prince’s Siblings Attend Packed Hearing; Judge Appoints Special Administrator
She said that will be coming sometime in August. Meanwhile, as we reported, the late singer’s ex-wives, Manuela Testolini and Mayte Garcia, organized a private memorial event in Hollywood on May 11, which was attended by the Gwen Stefani, Larry King and Spike Lee, among others.
Meanwhile, Tyka is also making it known that there is no bad blood between her siblings as they attempt to divide the late singer’s estate.
In the absence of a will, she filed legal documents to appoint a “Special Administrator” to Prince’s estate. Tyka, along with five half-siblings, John Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Alfred Jackson and Omarr Baker, have faced off in court over his reported net worth of $300 million, but Tyka says they “remain united.”
“To my knowledge…No One in my family has fought about anything, and least of all me…” she wrote on Facebook. “But I must admit I think it’s funny that I’m the one they say, ‘Stormed out…’ or that ‘We are at war’ Me? Us? Really? Where was I when all that happened?”
Prince’s body was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios/home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21. His body was cremated after being released to the family, but his remains have yet to be formally laid to rest.

https://www.eurweb.com/2016/05/princes-sister-not-jehovah-witness-church-memorial-brother/

[The Librarian]

Who requested the funeral service at the Kingdom Hall if he has no family in the truth?

[Guest Sonita]

Maybe the elders of his congregation

[Guest Kurt]

 

 

Prince's church holds a packed memorial service celebrating his work as a Jehovah's Witness as family members choose not to participate

• Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where Prince was an active member, held a memorial service on Sunday
• Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham attended, along with Sheila E, Sinbad the comedian, personal assistant, and former manager
• Graham is credited for sharing his faith with Prince, who converted in 2003 and was known for going door to door to spread the message
• One attendee said the service celebrated Prince's work glorifying God
• Sister Tyka Nelson said she supported the service but would not attend because for her, going to one memorial was 'enough'
• She also shared plans for public funeral in August and said they wanted to celebrate his legacy in 'just the right way'
• Prince was found dead on April 21 in an elevator at his estate Paisley Park

Prince's spiritual brothers and sisters filled the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Sunday for a memorial service in honor of the iconic musician.

The church where Prince was long-time member was nearly filled to its capacity of 500 people on Sunday afternoon, with bandmate Sheila E, Sinbad the comedian, and former manager Gilbert Davison in attendance.

Larry Graham, the Sly and the Family Stone bassist who persuaded Prince to convert in 2003, addressed the crowd in Minnetonka, Minnesota, just 10 miles away from the singer's Paisley Park estate.

Prince's only surviving full-sibling Tyka Nelson wrote in a Facebook post ahead of the event: 'I nor my brother's remains will be present at any Memorial or Funeral services', TMZ reported.

Larry Graham, the Sly and the Family Stone bassist who is credited with introducing Prince to the faith, addressed the crowd in Minnetonka, Minnesota, during a memorial service at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses

Among those present were (pictured left to right) musicians Ida Nielsen and Donna Grantis, Prince's personal assistant Meron Bekure, and former staffers Romeo and Mark Spark

The church hired extra security, and Minnetonka police were on hand to direct traffic around the church, where 50 'high profile' guests joined about 450 Jehovah's Witnesses. Pictured left, Sinbad the comedian

The church where Prince was long-time member was nearly filled to its capacity of 500 people on Sunday afternoon
 

The memorial, which lasted just 45 minutes, came three weeks after Prince was found dead in an elevator at Paisley Park on April 21 at the age of 57.

An attendee Richard Weiner told the NY Daily News: 'It was a beautiful service. They talked about his faith, how he became a Jehovah's Witness, and his actions after that were to glorify God in words and deeds.'

Another Jehovah's Witness said Prince was 'a spiritual brother and a fantastic musician [who] cared so much about people'. She added: 'I think Prince would have been moved by the service.'

Tyka Nelson wrote a lengthy Facebook post on Friday explaining she condoned the event but would not be attending.

She said: 'The grief process is a unique experience to each individual and therefore I support any and all memorials or funerals that have happened and/or are being planned.'

Prince's body was released to his family on April 22 following a four-hour autopsy. The remains arrived at the First Memorial Waterston Chapel, where his sister was in attendance to say a final goodbye.

 

She explained her absence from Sunday's memorial, writing: 'I feel that once...is enough.'

Nelson also shared plans for a public funeral in August, writing: 'We feel inspired to celebrate his life and legacy in just the right way.' 

 

The church hired extra security, and Minnetonka police were on hand to direct traffic around the church, as buses from other congregations arrived, along with 50 'high profile' guests, the Star Tribune reported. 

The memorial program included Prince lyrics from the song 'Beautiful, Loved and Blessed', which read: 'If I were to ever write down my life story, I could truly say with all the fame and glory, I was just a piece of clay in need of the potter’s hand.' 

 

Larry Graham, who is also the uncle to rapper Drake, shared his faith with Prince for two years before the Purple Rain singer converted to being a Jehovah's Witness.  

 

In a 2008 interview with the Washington Post, Prince said: 'I don't see it really as a conversion. More, you know, it's a realization.

'It's like Morpheus and Neo in The Matrix.'  

 

Brother George Cook, who is one of the nine elders of the small 90-person congregation at the church, told Dailymail.com earlier this month: ‘Prince was active, he shared in the ministry every month.

‘We didn’t see him very often because he was away all the time, but he did attend the memorial of Christ’s death on March 23 here, he brought some of his band members with him.

‘He was a spiritual man from what I know of him and he talked to individuals and he very strongly believed in the message of the bible that Jehovah Witness’s proclaim.

‘He believed that the true God is Jehovah and he knew for example that when we die, we’re dead, we’re sleeping and the hope is the resurrection, that’s why Jesus died.’

Brother Cook said Prince regularly ‘witnessed’ alone in the community,and described him as ‘modest’ and ‘very, very humble’ when he came to the church.

Sunday's memorial came just days after Prince's ex-wives Manuela Testolini and Mayte Garcia, hosted a gathering in Los Angeles, where attendees listened to his iconic music and watched old performances on a big screen

Also among Prince's friends at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater were Spike Lee, Nile Rodgers, Dita Von Teese, Larry King and Gwen Stefani.

Read more here:From Mail Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

The program said the service included an "interview" with Larry Graham, the former Sly and the Family Stone bassist who was Prince's spiritual mentor and introduced him to the faith.

Traffic cones as far as the eye can see on street for Prince memorial.

Prince: Private Memorial Takes Place In Minnesota Church