Reverend Winston Joseph Townsend was born Janaury 10.1954 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in a little town called Cheapside. He departed this life on June 24, 2014. He was the eldest child of the late Cornelius Moses Townsend and Fannie Bernell Bailey Townsend.
He was licensed to preach the Gospel at the age of nineteen (19) at Ebenezer AME Church in Capeville, Virginia by the late Presiding Elder Jerry Cornelius Fauntleroy. Reverend Townsend was ordained as Deacon on April 20, 1976 and later ordained Itinerant Elder on April 2, 1978.
Reverend Townsend attended public schools in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He graduated from Norfolk State University in 1977 with a degree in Special Education-Mental Retardation and a minor in Sociology of Religion. Reverand Townsend continued his studies at Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. Winston then received his Masters from Coppin State University in December 2008 in Adult Education. He acquired numerous certifications in public school administration.
Reverend Winston J. Townsend pastored numerous churches in the Virginia Annual Conference and Baltimore Annual Conference. Those churches included: Saint Stevens AME, Cape Charles, VA; Coles Chapel AME, Bayview,VA; Bethel AME,Eastville,VA; St. Luke Daugherty AME, Accomack,VA; Bethel AME,Churchill,MD; Allen AME, Hillsboro, MD and Chestnut Grove AME,Street, MD.
Reverend Townsend has been employed by Baltimore City Public Schools for over twenty (20) years as a teacher and administrator. he was due to retire on July 1, 2014 due to illness. He has one uncle Cecil Townsend (Ruth) of Delaware and one aunt Elizabeth graves (Jerry) of Philadelphia, PA., one special sister-in-law Jean Dupree, and host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many great friends including Bishop Stanley and Glenda Butler, Tajah M. Gross, and Karen Sullivan.
Reverand Townsend will be remembered as someone who was an advocate of young people, a great and supporting friend, a great listener and an overall "Good Guy". Always a believer in the Gospel, one of his last statements was: "I Shall Live and Not Die."