The Most Reverend Elizabeth Rhodes, also known as Bishop Rhodes, Overseer Rhodes, Pastor Rhodes, Evangelist Rhodes, Missionary Rhodes, Sister Rhodes, but we here at Holy Temple referred to her as, "Mother Rhodes." She wore many hats, she was a pastor, a prophetess, a minister, a counselor, a missionary, a leader, a friend, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. 

Her love for God came first in her life, following her love for God came her love for her husband, the late Deacon Robert Rhodes, her love for her children, Mother Rosalie Davis, Sister Mazarine Bond, Reverend Janice Mosley, and Overseer Roberta Miller, and her love for God’s people. Mother Rhodes was the anchor in her marriage, and she was the foundation of this church. 

 

Mother Rhodes and Deacon Rhodes were married for 39 years. God gave her the right husband for the right time. Deacon Rhodes depended on his wife for the stability in his life and the life of his children. Deacon Rhodes needed a strong woman to help him and God gave him exactly what he needed. He loved her and she loved him. In the early 1944 Deacon Rhodes left South Carolina and headed for Baltimore. He got a job as a stevedore, that March he sent for Mother Rhodes and their children. 

 

Upon arriving in Baltimore in 1944, Mother Rhodes went to church with her cousin, Sister Georgina Wilder, and joined The Garden of Prayer Church of God in Christ, Dr. James R. Carter was the pastor. It was later renamed Carter Memorial Church of Baltimore. She removed her membership from there and joined Mt. Olive Evangelistic Church, Bishop Walter Warner was the pastor. It was under Bishop Warner’s leadership, in 1947, that she had a vision of building a church. She thought it was Bishop Warner’s church; however, he told her no, God is letting you know that He is going to bless you with your own church. On October 19. 1952, she started that church in the basement of her home at 1030 N. Bentalou Street. Through her many were saved, many were healed, many were comforted, and many were blessed. 

 

Mother Rhodes broke ground for the church with less than $1500.00. She was a woman who lived by faith. She prayed and God healed many from different diseases including cancer, God added years to people’s lives’, but one thing the late Elder Janis Bailey would say is, “I don’t want Mother Rhodes to ever tell me anything bad, because everything she has ever prophesied to me has come true.” She was a woman of faith, a woman of vision, and a woman of works. 

 

Although she was very strong she, was very complex. One moment she could be so loving and the next minute she could prophecy and make you shiver until you would want to go hide. She could be so strong one minute and vulnerable the next.  
With limited education God used her mighty.  She could stand before the most educated, religious, and business people and understand what they were saying. Some have admitted on different occasions that they would say things to Mother Rhodes trying to confuse her by using elaborate vocabulary words that they thought she could not interpret, but God gave her the right things to says. 

 

Not only did God bless Mother Rhodes Spiritually, Mentally, and Emotionally, but also Physically. She would lift one side of a piano by herself with three other people on the other side and she would yell “Why are you dragging your side.” When there were no men available to work on the church, she would hand cement blocks to Elder Janis Bailey, our carpenter. Those large cement blocks took a toll on her body, but she was determined to build and worship in this church before the winter of 1959. She withstood criticism from friends and foe, saying that they hoped Elder Bailey and she weren’t building something to fall on people’s head. Well she set her goal and accomplished. Sunday, November 29, 1959 we held our First Service in this facility. For years Mother Rhodes, would host most of the church members at her home for dinner or she would cook and feed them here. When the Saints from Baltimore would travel to Florida for convocations and other special events, Mother Rhodes would foot most of the bill for as many as fifteen or sixteen people. 

 

During Saturday, July 15th, 1978, during the Annual Youth Night of Holy Convocation, Mother Rhodes told the congregation God was calling her home. She said that this is her last convocation, and she want going to ask God for any more time. She testified and the congregation saw how God had added to her life many years. On Tuesday, July 25, 1978 God saw fit to call Mother Rhodes home. 
Mother Rhodes knew that nothing was too hard for God, and if she thought the Lord wanted her to do something she would, and nothing could stop her. It could be said that her way of life was fasting, praying, praising, and helping the people of God. One of her favorite sayings was “I may die in an oxygen tent, but I know that God is able to heal. Her favorite song was “He’s a Friend of Mine.”