Meet-A-Member - Renae Gross

The only way to get to know Centennial AME Zion Church is to get to know it's members so we'd like to introduce you to Mrs. Renae Gross. She has been a member of Centennial for 18 years and has many duties that include missionary president, deaconess, class leader & associate minister. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, she is an alumni of Ribult Senior High School where she says her worst teacher was Mrs. Coleman because she already knew her and her family coming up so there was no getting away with anything. The place she enjoyed visiting the most was St. Petersburg, Florida because she says it was so laid back like a retirement community but hopes to one day visit Paris, France.

She has a very loving family that include a wonderful husband, one brother, two sisters, six kids, two dogs and a slew of grandkids that affectionately call her Mema. After 26 years at Sears she is currently a volunteer at a hospital which puts her close to her childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Her favorite colors are black and red but her hair color depends on her mood as it changes from black to auburn to honey blonde. She credits her greatest accomplishment as going to college and her worst fear that she will never lose the weight that she wants to, choosing her stomach as the the part of her body that she wants to change first and wishing for good health if she was granted one wish. But don't take her lightly because she is also a mean volleyball player and enjoys bowling & playing Taboo for fun. Her most beautiful quality is that she is an excellent listener but thinks she over identifies was other people's problems too easily.

The first thing she does each morning is pray and her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:25 when David said "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." The quote she uses in her daily life is "a lesson learned is not repeated" and always believed that if she was going to be famous for anything, it would be for speaking. She would like to one day meet Oprah, would pay off her house if she came into some money, would save her purse if her house was on fire, and hopes to have a Bible if she was stranded on a desert island.

Mrs. Gross enjoys reading books by author Joyce Meyers & Ebony magazine but if she is watching a movie, she prefers a comedy and when watching television she likes The Nanny. Her favorite singer is Shirley Ceasar and thinks "I Just Want To Praise Him" is the most beautiful song that she's ever heard. Her most delicious dish is macaroni & cheese and she just loves to drink Coca-Cola but can't stand liver. She has a birthday coming up on July 22nd so maybe someone will take her to her favorite restaurant, Red Lobster. Even though she really wants a car, she says that the nicest thing someone has ever given her was a hug when she was feeling down. To learn more about Mrs. Renae Gross, come meet her at Centennial or befriend her on Facebook. God bless.