Charles Clifton “Cliff” Winchester, 85, of Paola, Kansas, went home to heaven peacefully with his loved ones by his side on February 17, 2026.

Cliff was born on January 27, 1941 to Charlie Winchester and Louise Chapman Winchester in Paris, Tennessee. His family later moved to Joliet, Illinois, where he completed high school and experienced a call to preach the gospel of Christ. He went on to graduate from Tomlinson College in Cleveland, Tennessee, and pursued additional education at Black Hills University in Spearfish, South Dakota.

He became licensed as a minister in the Church of God of Prophecy in 1958 and was called to his first pastorate in Pekin, Illinois. This began a 50+ year pastoral ministry that also took him to Faxon and Paris, Tennessee; Pekin, Peoria, and Decatur, Illinois; Grand Island, Nebraska; Sturgis, South Dakota; Salisbury, Maryland; Uniontown and Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri.

Cliff also spent 20 years as an International Office Committee Member and served as a Regional Overseer for 18 years in Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri. He submitted over 765 monthly reports during his accomplished career.

He met his wife, Norma Joann Manning, while serving in youth ministries in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. They were married on February 11, 1961, and recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. They were blessed with five children, Chuck, Mike, Greg, Lynn, and Gwen.

When Cliff was not sharing his love of God, you would find him with his family or fishing and enjoying the peace of the outdoors. He loved to make others laugh and maintained his trademark humor and unwavering faith through his final days.

Cliff was preceded in joining the Lord by his parents Charlie and Louise Winchester and his brother Butch Winchester.

He is survived by his wife Norma Joann Winchester; sister Nina (Winchester) Clements; sons Charles Winchester, Michael Winchester, and Greg Winchester; daughters Gwen (Winchester) Doyle, Lynn (Winchester) Weathers; son-in-law Jeremy Weathers; daughters-in-law Audra (Barnes) Winchester, Theresa (Phalen) Winchester; 18 grandchildren and numerous loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Church of God of Prophecy in Cliff's name at https://cogop.org/.

A celebration of life will be held at the Prairie Center Church of God of Prophecy in Olathe, Kansas on May 23, 2026 at 3:30 PM CT.

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