The MANA family was saddened with the lost of Pastor Roy Kirton, the immediate past president of MANA and pastor of the Circle of Love Church in Amityville, NY for many years. Recently Pastor Kirton had relocated to North Carolina to attend to health concerns. Despite being removed from the North Amityville community he remained in touch with many and was a beloved treasure and asset to the community. We are honored and delighted to share the contents of his obituary in this article.

Roy Sanceric Kirton was born January 18, 1951, to Mr. Fritzroy Kirton and Alexandrina Kirton in Queens, New York. Roy was the eldest of seven siblings. He was called from his earthly labor to his home in glory on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Raleigh, NC.

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Roy attended the Copiague school system and graduated from Copiague High School in 1969. To further his Education he attended Adelphi, and Suffolk Community College. Roy was reared in a single-family household. He came to faith in Christ at the age of 12, under the authority of Rev. Mother Christine Gomez, Pastor of the Zion Gospel Church, Copiague, New York. To further his religious studies, he attended Mason Kelly Religious Training Institute, and Nyack College who awarded him with an honorary doctorate.

He was ordained as an Elder in 1980 by the Soul Saving Station for Every Nation, Christ Crusader of America, Inc., in New York. Pastor Kirton served in many leadership positions and while at Zion Gospel Church, in 1993, he was appointed as Senior Pastor.

In May of 1973, Pastor Kirton met and married Francine Evora and from this union God blessed them with two children Alexander and Janelle. He was the proud grandfather of Alexandra Rachel and Matthew Alexander.

Pastor Roy spent a lengthy career in the financial market world. In 1972, he joined the Suffolk Federal Savings and Loan where he aspired to the office of Vice President. He distinguished himself as the only senior officer of color for that organization. In 1982, Pastor Kirton made a career change when he became a registered representative for a securities firm. He later founded a company with six other partners, called Pioneer Services Inc.

In 1997, along with his wife Francine, they founded the Circle of Love Ministry Worldwide a non-denominational church that reached out to those who were traditionally outside the church walls. The church’s mission statement was “A ministry reaching the whole world with the whole gospel for the whole man.” Shortly after establishing the church, the Kirtons gave birth to a food pantry that provided groceries to some 100 families weekly. Every Thanksgiving holiday the Circle of Love provided more than 700 dinners to feed the residents of the Babylon Township.

In 2003, after working in the county jail for many years, Pastor Kirton established the Safe Harbor Mentoring Program. This aftercare program assists men and women who are transitioning from incarceration to mainstream society. Safe Harbor is a broad-based community organizer that realizes its mission and goals through education, advocacy, empowerment, prevention, and increasing public safety and awareness. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Long Island Community Foundation has funded the Safe Harbor program and as the Executive Director, Pastor Kirton, supervised over 35 volunteers from various church traditions that ministered to 150 inmates weekly.

In 2007, Pastor was elected President of the Ministerial Alliance of North Amityville and Vicinity (MANA). This alliance is an interdenominational clergy association of churches, pastors, and clergypersons. This group, initially consisting of African American Ministers, transformed itself under the leadership of Pastor Roy Kirton to include other various ethnicities. Pastor Kirton was impetuses with birthing MANA’s newspaper. He also led a weekly regional prayer meeting for spiritual leaders. In 2008, Pastor Kirton provided humanitarian support to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and in 2010, he visited, assessed, and provided support to the surviving earthquake victims in Haiti.

After pastoring Circle of love for many years, Pastor Kirton became ill in 2010. He then collaborated and joined in ministry with Rev. Dr. Terrance Dwayne Daye, Senior Pastor at Christian Life Center Inc, Amityville, NY.

He leaves to cherish his memory two children: Alexander (Keyla) and Janelle, two grandchildren Alexandra and Matthew. His sisters & brothers: Annette Harris of Four Oaks, NC, Linda Stallworth, Dix Hills, NY, Janice Jackson (Henry) Wyandanch, NY, Christopher Kirton (Marjorie), of Raleigh, NC, Eugene Kirton (Darleena) Youngsville, NC, Isabella Thorton (Tyronne), of Annapolis, MD, Daphne Charles of Trinidad, Jacquelyn Kirton Bloden, Reverend Allen Kirton (preceded him in death) and a Host of Nieces, Nephews, Cousins, friends, and extended Church family,

“Well Done Good and Faithful Servant”

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