A home-going service took place Nov. 19 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Jersey City, for Bishop Dr. Ernest D. Laval. He died Nov. 11 at Hamilton Park Health Care Facility after suffering from sickness for some time. Dr. Laval was married to Pastor Dyan Laval for 25 years. Together the two of them worked faithfully in ministry and the work of the Lord.
In 1950, he was ordained a deacon and in 1951 as a minister. In 1958, he was ordained to the role of elder. He served as the assistant pastor of Faith and Victory Deliverance Church for many years before going back on the evangelical field in 1973. In 1975, he began a community Bible study in his home and in 1977 the Mission Deliverance Center Church was established. From 1989 through 1995, Bishop Laval served as vice president of the Northern District Original United Holy Church International 2 under the leadership of the late Bishop A. McKinney of Baltimore, Md. In 1995/96, he was appointed President of that district.
He received his doctoral degree in 1990. Dr. Laval leaves to continue his legacy and cherish his memory his wife Pastor Dyan D. Laval; his daughters Christine Cooper of Newark, Tammy M. Adams of Jersey City, Rhonda J. Barr of Houston, Texas, and Tyrone Adams Jr. of Jersey City; brother Albert Laval of Clifton; and grandchildren: Evangelist Barbara Burns of Jersey City, Thelma Johnson of Newark, Ms. H. Murthy, Michelle Smith and Tony Robino. Then there is a very special grandchild of whom bishop raised as his own, T. Andrew Adams III of Jersey City; great grandchildren Charette Simmons, Ebony Chavis and Stacey Kemp; godchildren consist of Co-Pastor Sylvia Cherry (and family), Pastor Shirley Dennis, Bishop Jacqulen Walton, Debra Gerandos and Reverend Diane Hinderson, Marie Singletary, Richard, Walter, Abraham, Marie Ann, Delores (all Singletary’s) Leola Singletary-Purnell, Rosia Singletary-Hodges and Janie Singletary-States; and spiritual daughter, Pastor Bessie Odino. There’s also a host of nieces and nephews. Services arranged by the Watson Mortuary Service, Jersey City.