September 27, 2026, 62, – There are some people you can never truly say goodbye to, because they have become part of who you are. For us, that person is Mom.
Pastor Chrystal James McCullen, age 62, passed away on Sunday, September 27, 2026, surrounded by her family and close friends from the church she loved so dearly. After years of health complications, Mom’s body finally became tired. But even through the hardest years, there was something inside her that never gave up.
Her faith- Mom believed in God with her whole heart. She didn’t just talk about faith—she lived it. She leaned on it when life was hard, she shared it when someone was hurting, and she carried it with her everywhere she went. For 28 years, she served as the Pastor of Snow Hill Church of God. Twenty-eight years is a long time to stand behind a pulpit. But Mom didn’t see it as simply standing behind a pulpit. She saw it as a calling. If there was somebody who needed to hear a word from God, Mom wanted to reach them. It didn’t matter where she was or whether there was a church building around her. If she believed somebody needed to hear the message, she would find a way to deliver it. That was Mom.
She could be stubborn. She could be strong-willed. She could tell you exactly what she thought. But underneath all of that was a woman who cared deeply, loved deeply, and believed deeply.
And if you knew her, you knew one thing for certain: She loved God. As Her children we saw the pastor, but we also saw the woman behind the pulpit. We saw our mother. We saw the sacrifices. We saw the prayers. We saw the difficult days. We saw the love she gave to other people. And we saw her continue to hold onto her faith when life gave her every reason to be tired.
Mom leaves behind her husband, Jimmy McCullen; her three children, Robert (Tiffany), Ashley, and Steven McCullen; and her three grandchildren, Caleb, Hannah and Rachel McCullen, all of Wayne County, North Carolina and her brother, Norman James (Angie Sauls).
But what she leaves behind cannot be listed in an obituary. She leaves behind memories. She leaves behind lessons. She leaves behind prayers that were prayed over us. She leaves behind words that we may not have understood when she first spoke them, but will carry with us for the rest of our lives. And she leaves behind a faith that she spent 28 years trying to put into the hearts of others.
There will be days when we reach for the phone to call her. Days when we hear a song and think of her. Days when something happens and our first thought will be, “I need to tell Mom.” And then we’ll remember. Those moments are going to hurt. Because losing your mother isn’t something you simply “get over.” You learn to carry the empty space. But we will also carry everything she gave us. Her love. Her strength. Her prayers. Her stubbornness. Her laughter. Her voice. Her faith. And most importantly, her example.
Mom spent her life telling people about God. Now it’s our turn to remember the woman who spent her life believing in Him. She fought her fight. She ran her race. And after 62 years on this earth, the woman who spent 28 years telling others about Heaven has finally gone home.
Rest now, Mom. You don’t have to fight anymore. You don’t have to hurt anymore. You don’t have to be strong anymore. Your children will carry your name. Your grandchildren will carry your memory. Your church will carry your message. And we will carry your love. Until we see you again, Mom. We love you more than these words could ever say.
Homegoing service will be held Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro with visitation to follow. A graveside service will be held Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Eureka Cemetery.
Services entrusted to the care of Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro.
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