Joseph Lefarn Tumpkin

REVEREND DOCTOR JOSEPH L. TUMPKIN

On Friday, January 10, 2025, at 6:32 a.m. our loving and devoted, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather Dr. Joseph L Tumpkin went home peacefully to receive his heavenly reward at Haven Health, Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Joseph was born March 28, 1938, in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the second of six children born to Joseph Watson and Annie Ruth Tumpkin. Joseph grew up in Detroit, Michigan, having moved there at age two. In 1956 he graduated from Cass Technical High School and attended Highland Park Junior College.

Always feeling drawn to the church and the things of God, Joseph accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in 1958 at the Metropolitan Church of God. A year later he answered the call of God to Christian ministry. In preparation for the ministry, he resumed his education at Wayne State University and graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After meeting Carolyn Marie Walton at Metropolitan Church of God in a way he describes as God-ordained, he and Carolyn married May 16, 1964. They have three children, all graduates of Oral Roberts University: Doctor Christopher Daniel Tumpkin, Ft Carson, CO; Stephen LeRoy (Holly) Tumpkin, Broken Arrow, OK; and Pastor Angela Kay (Ryan) Sedore, Sierra Vista, AZ.

Pastor Tumpkin graduated from Anderson Theological Seminary, Anderson University in 1968 with a Master of Divinity degree. He entered the United States Army Chaplaincy in 1968 where he served in New York, Georgia, Texas, Vietnam, Germany and Arizona. In 1977, while attending the Advanced Course for Chaplains, he earned the Master of Science in Education degree from Long Island University.
While serving in Germany, Chaplain T as he was affectionately called, oversaw a ministry to soldiers that saw many salvations, deliverances and discipling of young men in "the Upper Room" prayer ministry. He loved soldiers. Many relationships he made in Germany have continued throughout many years.

After leaving the active military in 1981, Chaplain Tumpkin founded Shiloh Christian Ministries in Sierra Vista AZ to be a 'refuge in the end-times'. The ministry included a Christian School for thirty years, and a Christian Bookstore for seventeen years. For many years he also provided apostolic oversight to several pastors and churches in southeast Arizona. In 1992, Pastor Tumpkin graduated from Oral Roberts University Graduate School of Theology with the Doctor of Ministry degree. He retired as Senior Pastor of Shiloh Christian Ministries in October 2017, passing the baton to one of his spiritual sons, Pastor Erick Villalvazo.

His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, VietNam Service Medal, VietNam Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/Hourglass (2nd Award), the VietNam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, and the VietNam Civic Actions Unit Citation. Chaplain Tumpkin was also named in the 1973 "Outstanding Young Men of America". He retired from the US Army in 1998, having attained the rank of Colonel. He has had two articles published as well as his doctoral dissertation, "Effective Prayer: A Vital Key to Christian Life and Ministry".

Dr Tumpkin has served on the Boards of The Salvation Army as well as the original SV Chapter of Women's Aglow, the Executive Committee of Chaplaincy Full Gospel Churches; he was also a founding member of "Gathering Arizona in Prayer (GAP). Known as a man of prayer, and sought out in the community as a "pastor to pastors, Dr Tumpkin's deepest desire was always to walk worthily and be found faithful to the call of his Lord and Savior; to fulfill Gods word of shepherding an end-time, refuge ministry and to continue proclaiming the Gospel.We believe he was faithful to that call and has now received his heavenly reward.

Pastor Joseph leaves a loving and devoted legacy to his wife of over sixty years Carolyn, his sons Chris and Steve and his wife Holly, his daughter Angela and her husband Ryan, his grandchildren Devin, Jadyn (JaMes), Cristan "Dani", Lauryn, Corey, Tayana (Josh), Malachi, Hazel, Cameron, Olivia and Graclyn; his great-grandchildren, Parker, Nala, Judah, Esther, Emma, Blythe and Mila; his remaining siblings Rita and Tony, nieces, nephews and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Annie Ruth, his brothers Theodore, Roy and Carl.

Final arrangements are entrusted to Hatfield Funeral Home 830 So Hwy 92, SV AZ 85635, 520-458-5120. A Family and Friends Visitation and Viewing will be held there on Friday, January17, 2025 from 5-8 p.m. A Celebration of Life, Faith and Home-going with Military Honors will be held on Saturday, January 18th at 10 a.m. at Shiloh Christian Ministries 1519 Avenida del Sol.

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