GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay area is continuing to mourn a valuable member of its community as pastor Lesley Carroll “L.C.” Green with Divine Temple Church of God in Christ recently passed away.
The pastor left a huge mark in the community and some who knew him share how his legacy will continue to live on.
“He would sit back with his arms folded and he would say, ‘Okay, Sharon, you think you could do this?’” said Sharon Harper, a friend of the pastor for over 20 years.
For Sharon Harper, it’s bittersweet to remember the man she called a friend, mentor, and father figure.
“He was a father to all of us, he was someone who believed in us, he trusted us and he encouraged us,” Harper said.
Pastor Green served as a pastor in Green Bay for 23 years.
When NBC 26 interviewed the pastor last summer, he took the time to share what it was like as a black man living in Green Bay in the ’90s.
“I used to say all the time that when I first came here it was 00.1 black people here but now we moving up,” said Pastor Green during a June 2021 interview.
Over the years, Pastor Green worked closely with the Green Bay Police Department.
“It's all about relationships and Pastor Green knew that and he really embraced that relationship. And he wanted relationships with all people, just like the police department does,” said Commander Kevin Warych, Green Bay Police Department.
Warych knew the pastor on a personal level.
He worked closely with him for years having regular meetings with him about involvement and inclusion.
“Pastor Green and I have worked together for many years and we lost an icon and we lost a great member of this community. But now really our mission in what we can do to honor his name and his legacy is to carry out what he believed in,“ Warych said.
And for Harper who knew the pastor for over 20 years, she says this loss has no words.
“Especially to me, 22 years, I love him dearly, I remember everything he taught me,” Harper said.
One thing is certain Pastor Green made a lasting impact on the community he loved.
