Belita Doreen Mitchell transitioned to glory on February 10, 2024 at home in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, surrounded by her loved ones, after a brief illness.
Belita was born on March 28, 1946 to Alfred Brewington, Sr., and Delores Hill Brewington (later Hirsch) of Colp, Illinois. She spent her childhood and youth in Colp and Detroit, Michigan.
After graduating from Herrin High School (Illinois), Belita completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, with an English major and a French minor. Belita was the first member of her family to earn a college degree. At SIU, she met her husband, Don Valliant Mitchell. They first lived in Chicago where Belita was a public aid caseworker and then moved to the Los Angeles area in 1972 where Belita and Don continued raising a family and Belita pursued a career in customer service and sales with International Paper Corporation, retiring as an Account Executive, after 30 years with the company.
Toward the end of her corporate career, Belita began to receive affirmations of her call to ministry through her and Don’s active involvement at Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren.
She went through the licensing process, graduated from the Training in Ministry program, accompanied by classes at Fuller Theological Seminary, and over nine years served both as Associate Pastor and Interim Pastor at Imperial Heights. She was called as Senior Pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2003 where she served for almost 19 years.
In addition to her pastorate Belita played a vibrant and influential role in the denomination as a speaker, writer, workshop leader, and advocate for causes such as racial and social justice, peacemaking, the challenges faced by minority communities, and gun violence prevention.
In 2007, she served as the moderator of the denomination’s Annual Conference with being “prayed up” as a theme of her leadership, and the call for diversity a cornerstone of her year as moderator. In 2017, she and her husband received the “Revelation 7:9 Award” from the denomination’s Intercultural Ministries in recognition of significant leadership in efforts to make the Church of the Brethren an intercultural church. In 2022, she was the preacher for the final worship service at the Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.
Belita’s memory will be cherished by those family members she leaves behind: Her husband of 51 years, Don, stepdaughter, Sanya B. Mitchell, daughter, Leroy Kym Mitchell, son, Don Valliant Mitchell II, granddaughter, Serenity Mitchell Lynum (Timothy) whom she and Don raised as a daughter, granddaughters, Noelle Angelic Turner (Malcolm) and Shannon Ne’Cole Johnson (Erick), and seven great-grandchildren.
As the eldest of her father’s 11 children, Belita was a trailblazer and source of inspiration for her siblings: Michael Brewington (Stephanie), Donna Brewington White (Mark), Bernice Alex Brewington, Carla Brewington Sanders, Greta Brewington Hanson (Terrell), Vicki Brewington Mims (Carlisle), Arnold Brewington, Ranay Brewington Failey, David Brewington (Tracey), sister-in-law, Brenda Nays-Brewington (Alfred) and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including her cousin Vanessa Hill Sherrill with whom she shared a special bond. Like a sister, is her lifelong friend Carmella Harrison-Anthony.
Belita was preceded into eternity by her parents, son, Eric, grandson, Marcus, and brother, Alfred Brewington, Jr.
A “Faith, Family, Fellowship, Joy and Celebration” service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on April 20, 2024 at First Church of the Brethren, 219 Hummel Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The pre-service reception will begin at 10:00 a.m., with a Fellowship Luncheon immediately following the service. Interment will be held at 11:00 a.m. in Colp, Illinois at the Colp-Dewmaine Cemetery with a luncheon immediately following at Mount Olive Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, Belita requested that donations be made to the Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren Living Witness Fund. Memorial donations can be made by sending a check made out to Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren with “Living Witness” in the memo line to 219 Hummel Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.
Professional services were entrusted to Southern Cremation and Burial Services of Murphysboro, Illinois.
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)
Colp - Dewmaine Cemetery
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