Pastor dies at pulpit singing Pharrell's hit song 'Happy'

CHICAGO (Christian Examiner) -- Pastor Gordon A. Humphrey Jr. of United Ministries passed away while preaching at the pulpit this Sunday, according to reports. The 60-year-old pastor was ministering at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago and singing Pharrell's hit song "Happy" when he suddenly collapsed.

Church members attempted to revive him and phoned for an ambulance.

"They did call paramedics right away," Pastor Greg Hunter, a mentee of the man, told The Christian Post. "They had people in the church that are in the medical field working on him as well and he was taken to the hospital. Every location was devastated. Stockton, Oakland, Shiloh, everybody was devastated."

"I'm not sure if they determined the cause of death but it's been said he may have had a heart attack," he added.

Pastor Humphrey had been shepherding three flocks at the time of his death: Olivet Church in Stockton, Calif., Olivet of Oakland, Calif., and Shiloh Missionary in Chicago.

Hunter said that Humphrey died doing what he loved, and emphasized that the pastor truly strived to be like Jesus.

"We are putting emphasis that he passed doing what he loved to do and he loved preaching and that's the relationship he had with God and when he preached he gave it his all. So he passed doing the thing that he loved to do and that is [to] share the word of God and minister to the body of Christ," explained the pastor.

"For years he walked the streets and met with drug addicts and gangbangers that was against each other and [made them] begin to love. He brought all people together," Hunter added.