Our Beloved Pastor Has Gone to Be with the Lord.

[MIAMI, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023] — It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dr. Rick Keith Blackwood, Ph.D., D.Min., Ed.D. He passed away early August 4, 2023 around midnight surrounded by his wife, daughters, grandchildren and brother. 

Although Pastor Rick has gone to be with the Lord, his legacy as a faithful servant of Christ will live on. He served as Lead Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church for 23 years. Through the multi-site model that Pastor Rick adopted, CF was able to multiply from a church of about 800 attendees to thousands of attendees at six local campuses made up of over 70 nationalities. 

In addition, Christ Fellowship Church now has multiple services in English and Spanish, and over 9,000 people watching online every week. He also led the expansion into South America and the Caribbean with 12 global campuses and a sister church in Ukraine.

His passion for God’s word and helping people follow Jesus didn’t stop with Sunday sermons. He wrote The Power of Multisensory Preaching and Teaching, and taught several seminars to share his knowledge with other leaders so the gospel could spread far and wide.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. A giant of the faith and a committed preacher of the gospel, Pastor Rick loved Miami and its people. It’s because of his obedience and trust in the Lord that thousands of people in Miami and around the world follow Jesus today.

His difficult battle with cancer lasted several years, but Pastor Rick held fast to the belief that whether on earth or in heaven, his life was a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Our congregation at Christ Fellowship Miami will miss him dearly, but we rejoice knowing that our beloved pastor is completely at peace now in the presence of God. We send our deepest condolences to the Blackwood family and we are surrounding them with our prayers and support during this time.

Sincerely,

Pastor Omar Giritli

Lead Pastor, Christ Fellowship Church