Spartanburg SC

Rev. Dr. Daniel Jeter, 75, gained eternal life on Tuesday, February 23 rd , 2021.  He transitioned peacefully with his wife, Wilhelmena, and their two children by his side.   He was an educator, a mentor, a driven lifelong student, and pastor – most recently at Heart of God Faith Ministries in Inman, SC at his passing.

He was born in Spartanburg County to the late Samuel and Mamie Rodgers Jeter, the third of their seven children.  He was a 1963 graduate of Carver High School in Spartanburg, SC. He attended South Carolina State University but was called to serve in the Vietnam War. Upon his return from the war, he resumed his academic studies at State, and later served in the Army Reserves. He earned a Master of Divinity from Erskine Theological Seminary (Due West, SC) in 1991, a degree in Organizational Management from Voorhees College, and later earned his Doctorate in Ministry in Ethnic Studies from Covington Theological Seminary (Covington, GA) in 2010.

His work career was long-spanning and extensive, as he apprenticed in various building trades in his early youth. He gained experience working in the vocational trades, such as carpentry and masonry, before transitioning as a Planner for the City of Spartanburg. His organizational acumen was recognized there, and availed many opportunities, such as remaining in this capacity in a larger city. His experience in vocational trades afforded him a teaching position at McCarthy Teszler School at the Charles Lea Center. He retired from this position in Spartanburg Co. School District 7 but was asked to work at R.D. Anderson Applied Technology Center, where he finally retired from the County's School District 6.

He answered God's call to ministry in the summer of 1978; he gave his trial sermon at Bunton Institutional CME Church in Spartanburg. He has pastored many churches in his 40+ year ministerial career – Forest Chapel CME Church (Forest City, NC), New Salem CME Church (Rutherfordton, NC), Brooklyn CME Church (Chesnee, SC), Young Laymen CME Church (Greenville, SC). He founded Heart of God Faith Ministries in 2003. He not only built memberships, but he built on church sanctuaries at Forest Chapel CME Church in Fairforest, SC, the Brooklyn CME Church Family Life Center, and Heart of God Faith Ministries.

He loved his family, his community, and his church families. He enjoyed landscaping, philanthropy, service to people and self-improvement through learning. He learned Hebrew to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible. He also took up the bass guitar later in life, as he wished to play during worship before delivering the message. Certification in grief counseling was his current goal; in preparation, he was reading books on the subjectjust prior to his illness. He enjoyed talking about God at many places, such as the local YMCA. He mentored many ministers in various communities in the Carolinas by supporting them fromtheir call to ordination to offering wisdom to established ministers. He truly lived out Jesus's greatest commandment: to love God with all of your being and love people as you love yourself.

Left to honor his memory is his bride of 44 years, Wilhelmena Mack Jeter; his children, Kelly Jeter of Atlanta, GA and Kyle Jeter of Spartanburg, SC.; sisters Lillie Cruell, Marie Jeter-Stoute, and Edna Westley (Willie); brothers Howard Jeter of Simpsonville, SC and Hubert Jeter of Brooklyn NY, cousinConnie Jeter Thomas, and covenant brother and sister Rev. Roy and Brenda Joseph Mack of Greenville, SC, among family, church family and friends. He was predeceased by his brother, Emanuel Jeter.

A celebration of his life will be held at Heart of God Faith Ministries later in the year as public health conditions permit.

Please keep the Jeter Family in your prayers.

The Jeter family is being cared for by Sullivan Bros. Mortuary Inc.