Funeral

Family members are to be seated prior to the start of the service in the seats located to the right of the pulpit beginning on the first row.

The order of line-up is as follows:

• Officiating Minister
• Other Clergy
• Diaconate
• Others participating in the service

At the conclusion of the service, the funeral director will give flowers to the designated flower bearers who will proceed out of the east sanctuary door. The pallbearers will follow the direction of the funeral director and place the casket into the hearse.

The Bereavement Ministry appointee will work in coordination with the family, administrative and funeral director on the following arrangements:

• preferred date and time of service
• estimated number of attendees
• special needs, i.e. wheelchair access, etc.
• draft and finalize the service program
• equipment desired, i.e. stand for guest register and reserved seating
• signs, etc.
• time deceased will be brought to the church
• delivery of flowers and other articles

No Masonic, Eastern Star, Sorority or Fraternal organizations should make any plans for participation in the wake, homegoing service, or burial. All Masonic, Sorority, and Fraternal rituals should be done at the funeral home.

At the time our services are needed please contact the church at (323) 569-9561 and advise us of your loss. If after 6 p.m. or before 10 a.m., please leave a voice mail message, and someone will return your call. We will do our very best to contact the family within 24 hours of notification.

Deacon Danita Darris is your initial contact. She is responsible for making the first contact with the family. She will establish in concert with the family the date and time of the service. She will assign a member of the bereavement team to meet with the family to ascertain the desires of the family and shape the program for the homegoing service. They will contact the appropriate parties at the church with the preliminary data and requests you have provided. We will do our best to meet and honor your requests.

No Macedonia ministry member or person should make any plans for participation in the wake, home-going service, or burial, without clearance from the Senior Pastor and/or his designee, Reverend Shawnn Boyd.

It is preferred that all funerals take place between Tuesday and Thursday, generally with a family visitation beginning at 10:00 am and the Homegoing service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Other dates and times are at the discretion of the Senior Pastor or his designee.

The casket is open during the scheduled time of the family visitation and closed thereafter during the funeral service. Under no circumstances will the service be conducted with an open casket. Under no circumstances with there be a parting viewing.

After having met with the family, the bereavement team will share with the Senior Pastor the family’s desires and wishes for the program order of service. The Senior Pastor or his designee will make the necessary changes and/or corrections to the program and will have the final word on the finished document.

All programs must be approved by the Senior Pastor or his designee before the program is printed. All decisions relative to music selections, solos, musicians, etc. come under the purview of the Director of Music, Mr. Tony Hardy. Please avoid any last minute changes to the order of worship.

The Senior Pastor will serve as the worship leader of all Macedonia funerals, except as he delegates this responsibility to other ministers or at his discretion. The Senior Pastor will also bear the responsibility for the burial and administering of the final rites except as he delegates this responsibility to other ministers.

Ministerial staff, Deacons and the Macedonia church family join in prayer as you grieve the passing of your loved one. May you know the Lord’s comfort, and may His love surround you during this time of loss.

Because the transition from life temporal to life eternal is such a sensitive time, we have established procedures to assist you through the bereavement process. As you follow these guidelines you may be assured that everything will be done for your comfort and convenience.

We will do our very best to honor your reasonable requests as we are able. We know that Homegoing Services are worship services designed to comfort and encourage the family and bring glory and honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we strive diligently to meet the needs and requests of the family, we keep in mind that all funeral services are worship services, and therefore adhere to the worship protocol of the Macedonia Baptist Church.

All final decisions for the service will be made by the Senior Pastor or Executive Pastor, Rev. Shawnn Boyd.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5