Bishop Willie Cunnigham

Born December 17, 1951 in Columbia, SC to the late Willie Brown and Ola Mae Cunningham Brown. 

Bishop Cunningham attended the public schools in Columbia, South Carolina. After spending a few years in regular school, his parents enrolled him in a private school for the blind in the 1960s in Greenville, SC. At this school he learned how to live day to day in the real world with his disability.  He also mastered braille at this school which would become a very important part of his ministry tools.   While on breaks from school, he would sing in the neighborhood enriching people lives with songs, music and praising God. Singing and praising God in the neighborhood with homemade tambourines, his two brothers, Larry and Raymond, would often be his eyes.  He accepted Christ and his calling to the ministry at a young age.  He attended and graduated from Furman University in Greenville South Carolina.  Along with operating a concession stand in the 1970s in downtown Columbia, he began to focus on his ministry.  Although he didn’t have eyesight, he didn’t let that hold him back.

He was a member of Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Killian, SC where he was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost and became an ordained Minister of the Gospel. Through a mutual spiritual sister, he met his loving and devoted wife of 43 years Polly Murphy Cunningham.   Embracing his love for music, he played the drums and became the lead singer in various gospel groups such as The Faithful and The Faithful Travelers.   This led to his singing career with the group The Legendary Gospel Ramblers.   Traveling to many states, they recorded many gospel songs such as “Lord Help Me to Wait”. After handing over his drumsticks to his younger brother and leaving the singing groups, he became a fulltime Pastor. With braille Bibles, books on tape and a braille typewriter he was able to succeed in his ministry.   He established three different churches in the Columbia area, New Bethel Holiness Church of State Park, SC, New Bethel Holiness Church on Shakespeare road and New Bethel Holiness Church on Senate Street. He served as the Chaplin at Midlands Center for many years. After many years of hard work and labor in the ministry, he, his family and church family joined Refuge Temple Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ where he was ordained Bishop in COOLJC on August 8, 1996. After many health challenges, he still began to minister from his bedside praying and counseling many people in his home.

His legacy will forever live on in our hearts.  Although he was blind from birth, his drive, motivation and perseverance to overcome and still be the person God called him to be will forever be with us.  He was a very kind and compassionate person to everyone with whom he came in contact with.  A loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, he will be forever missed. 

Bishop Cunningham is survived by his loving wife of 43 years Polly Cunningham, Four daughters, Flora Cunningham, Lora Cunningham, Tarshar (Joseph) Johnson, and Tonya Murphy.  Five sons Terrence Cunningham, Shawn Cunningham, Alvin Cunningham, Willie Cunningham Jr., and Lornell Davis.  Five children by marriage, Dianne (James) Burkett, Clifton (Rebecca) Murphy, Joanne Lewis (deceased), Stanley Murphy (deceased), and Willie (Viola) Murphy. Preceded in death by both parents Ola Mae Cunningham Brown and Willie Brown and one brother Larry Cunningham he has six sisters Clara C. Rogers of Templehill, Maryland, Carolyn Cunningham of Fort Washington, Maryland, Sue Roberson of Fairbanks, Alaska, Lillian (Danny)Kelly, Elaine C. Baily, and Renee Bannister all of Columbia, SC.  Two brothers Raymond Cunningham of Columbia, SC and Ronald Cunningham (Felicia) of Pennsauken, NJ. He also survived by 23 grandchildren 10 great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

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