SACRAMENTO, CA (October 1, 2013) — The funeral service for Covenant pastor Sherwood Carthen will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Capital Christian Center in Sacramento. Interment will follow immediately after at Sacramento Memorial Lawn.

A viewing will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Bayside of South Sacramento (BOSS).

Carthen, 54, died last Wednesday afternoon. He was the founding and lead pastor of BOSS and chaplain for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

Carthen had appeared at a public event just the day before with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and other pastors to kick off a regional fundraising campaign called “Give One Day” to help provide year-round shelter to homeless people.

“Today we lost a special friend, a loving father, a committed husband, and a great leader who led not only with powerful words from the pulpit, but by extending his ministry beyond the walls of the church,” Johnson said in a written statement Wednesday afternoon.

He was active in local and national issues. He founded Our Family Community Foundation, a para-church ministry specializing in wellness, wholeness, and faith. He also serves as chair of stakeholders for the National African American Tobacco Education Network and led efforts to create Be Free Indeed: Tobacco Tools for the African American Church.

Carthen also served as president of Black Employees United for Equality, which was designed to assist African Americans and minorities with upward mobility. He also served two years as the vice president of the board of directors for Interfaith Service Bureau.

As chaplain for the Kings, he was known to fans, workers, and NBA players at Sleep Train Arena as “The Rev.” He led pregame Bible discussions and prayers for the Kings and members of opposing teams.

He is survived by his wife, Charlene, and children, Anthony and Siobhan.