Rev. L. V. Brooks

06/14/1946 - 04/04/2024

Obituary For Rev. L. V. Brooks

Rev. L.V. Brooks, 77, of Seale, Alabama passed Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Columbus, Georgia.

Funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. EST, Monday, April 15, 2024 at Franchise Missionary Baptist Church with Dr. Raymond Cochran, pastor, Rev. Isaiah Sumbry, eulogist, Rev. Pryce Battle, officiant. Interment in the Greater St. John Baptist Church Cemetery. Public viewing will be from 1 - 5 p.m. EST, Saturday, April 13, 2024.

His Life's Journey

In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Reverend L. V. Brooks, Pastor and Founder of Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, was born on June 14, 1946 in Russell County, Alabama. He was the eldest of seven children born to the late Lula Mae (Sanders) Brooks and Elton Brooks. Two brothers, Elton and Bradford preceded him in death.
Being raised in the admonition of God, at age thirteen, understanding the importance of salvation, Rev. L. V. Brooks confessed Jesus Christ at Greater Peace and Goodwill A.M.E. Church of Phenix City, Alabama. The seed of faith were planted and his spiritual growth took root.

Psalm 37:23-24, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”

God spoke to L. V. Brooks, at the age of seventeen, and revealed his calling to him, but like most, he refused to accept it. He attended Sandfort High School in Russell County, after which, being a visionary, decisive, hardworking, and spirited young man, he acquired many jobs to gain independence as a young adult male. God had his hands on Rev. L. V. Brooks, for he was born for the purpose of serving God; he was set apart for a special “holy work.” Unbeknownst to him, L. V., stepped into a mode of “leadership” training, making strong decisions while setting the pace for his visions and strategies for his future.

As a young man, L. V. Brooks married, started his family, continuing to serve and worship God while working to be the good provider that he was.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

In the late 60's, Rev. L. V. Brooks took his family and moved to Detroit, Michigan. For almost twenty-seven years, Rev. Brooks was the husband of Pink Daisy (Holland) Brooks. This union was blessed with six children. Nine years ago, God knew that Rev. L. V. Brooks needed a helpmate and re-equipped Rev. Brooks for his work by joining him in holy matrimony to his faithful, loving wife, Earline Brooks (affectionately referred to as his “Aretha Franklin”). She and Rev. Brooks were blessed with one child. In Psalm 127:3-5 children are viewed as a blessing from God. He blessed Rev. L. V. Brooks by giving him twelve children; one son, Lazarus Crosby, preceded him death.

A hard-worker by trade, he worked driving trucks (his dream—professionally, driving fast cars and trucks), throughout the Metropolitan Detroit area to provide for his family. Believing that he could rely on the favor of God to help him find a better job, in 1969, he was blessed to receive a position as a bus driver for the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT). Rev. Brooks worked hard for DDOT for eighteen and a half years. He was appointed Chaplin for DDOT and served , at the terminal, as the Union Steward. As a result, he enrolled in Wayne State University's Bachelor of Arts Employment and Labor Relations Program. Later elected to the position of Financial Secretary Treasurer for the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 26 where he served for the last two years of his employment with DDOT. He resigned in 1989 and returned home to Seale, AL with his family.

Returning to Alabama, he worked for many companies driving either buses, delivery trucks, tractor trailers, dump trucks, just to mention a few: Dolly Madison, The Metra Transit System, The Waggoners Trucking Company, United Road Trucking, John Norris' Dump Trucking and Hauling, D.A.T. Trucking.

“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but it
shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

It was in July of 1977 that Reverend Brooks experienced a miraculous awakening to his call to the ministry. The spirit of the Lord spoke to him, again, commissioning him to “go out and preach the gospel and tell of the power of God to the world.” Throwing up his hands, giving all honor and praise to God, he accepted his calling. On the advice of the Interim Pastor, the late Charles Ellis, “God has given you the burning; it is your job to do the learning,” he enrolled into Detroit Bible College in Michigan and later attended William Tyndale College in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Then he was issued his license to preach on the first Sunday of December 1977. In 1984, Pastor Brooks received his preaching Certificate of Ordination, under the pastorate of the late Dr. John H. Kearney (a true friend), at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. He faithfully committed himself to preaching and teaching God's divine Word, addressing matters important to salvation and hum existence, striving to win souls for Christ.

In 1989, , returning to his roots in Seale, AL, he reunited with his home base church, the Greater St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Phenix City, AL, serving under the leadership of the late Rev. J. P. Jackson, Sr. In 1990 he accepted the pastorate of the Mountain Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Salem, Alabama. In the summer of 1996, Good Hope Baptist Church in Seale, AL called him to pastor the sheep who were placed in God's care.

“......And I say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

It was in 2006, that Pastor Brooks received another call on his life; the call to plant a church. On the first Sunday of March in 2006, Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church of Phenix City, AL currently named Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, was organized. It’s been eighteen years, and God has shown himself to a watching world through Rev. Brooks' leadership, teaching and preaching God's Word, that our hope is in Christ Jesus . Its only our belief in Jesus and His power that saves. All glory belongs to God.

God truly worked His plan through Rev. L. V. Brooks' life. In the year of 2019, Pastor Brooks, was further led by the Holy Spirit to join the East Alabama Baptist Progressive Association, Inc., where Pastor Pryce J. Battle currently serves as Moderator. Realizing that uniting with other like-minded churches and like-minded believers would be an asset to the ministry.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

God does not show favoritism. Being the spirited visionary that he was, Rev. L. V. Brooks, stood for what he believed was right and if it took his “spirited” personality to effect change, trusting God to move in all situations, he became every heavily involved in movements that were working to affect change and open doors for opportunities for all people. Most recently, he committed himself to supporting “Faith in Action Alabama” a multi-faith, multi-racial organization that works to honor God and create pathways of opportunity for all Alabamians. Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church was recently named, The Phenix City Hub of Faith in Action Alabama meetings.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

On Thursday, April 4, 2024, Rev. L. V. Brooks departed this earthly life at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, GA. God called him home! He leaves to cherish beautiful memories, his loving and devoted wife, Earline Brooks; his children, Curtis Eiland, Shreveport, LA, Louis Vernell (Deidre)Brooks, Columbus, GA; Elton Brooks, Ricky Hood, Otis (Camille) Brooks all residing in Phenix City, AL and son, Jacque; Consqualla Brooks, Conyers, GA; Consuela”Shawn” (Dwayne) Guice and Constella “Angel” (Tyron) Akins of Auburn, AL, Tanishia Obiajunwa, Savannah, GA; and Courtney McCoy, Detroit, Michigan.

His life will be forever cherished by his loving family; two brothers, Cordell “Carl” Brooks, Detroit, Michigan and Bobby (Vanessa) Brooks, Phenix City, AL.; two sisters, Carolyn Brooks (Ingram) Parker and Linda (John) Clark, Phenix City, AL; the precious ones that tugged on his hearts string, 44 grandchildren, 39 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews, his loving great aunt, Martha Harris, in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews; special long-time friends in the ministry, Rev. James Harrison and Rev. Charlie Bryant; cousin-like-a brother, Edward Jones, life- long friend, Ozell Brunson and a host of in-laws relatives and friends.

Colossians 1:24-29
“Christ in You The Hope of Glory?
“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.