Rev. Sarah Faye Windham

Celebrating the Life & Ministry of Sarah Windham

A Legacy of Faith, Service, and Devotion

After surviving Hurricane Camille in 1969, Sarah came to the Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi in Jackson, MS, and then, six months later, to Forest, MS, at the age of fourteen. She graduated from Forest High School in 1974, and after a brief break, she returned to school and graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Education.

Although she spent a decade of teaching in kindergarten and the first grade, she retired from teaching to spend more time with her two sons. For the next eight years, Sarah began working in ministry with the Forest Methodist Church youth group and then with the young adults. In 1999, she began attending Wesley Biblical Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity. Sarah began as a Senior Pastor at her first church appointment, Lake Charge, in 2002. She continued her path of ministry for the next twenty-five years at Lake, Waynesboro, West Point, Columbus, and Noxapater.

Sarah was a lifelong learner and teacher and ultimately graduated with her Doctor of Divinity in May 2026. Throughout her service in ministry, she focused on the lost, the least of these, and the left behind. She empowered others to live beyond the pew by designing, creating, and implementing the Certified Lay Academy to train and equip Certified Lay Ministers to pastor in the Methodist Church.

If you knew Sarah, you knew that, even in the midst of full-time ministry, family was always close to her heart. Not only did she make family moments magical, like birthdays, Christmas, and vacation, but she also made the time for weekly calls and prayer with each of her seven grandkids, two sons, and two daughters of the heart. On September 2nd, Edwin and Sarah celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. They had the opportunity to spend several days out of town with elegant dining, movies, antiquing and more, which was only a glimpse of their lifelong love they shared as best friends & soulmates. Sarah turned childhood abuse into a life of service to the Lord through Jesus's Grace and Mercy. Her passionate pursuit of the Lord spilled out into every aspect of her life. She is survived by her loving husband, Royce Edwin Windham Jr. of Forest, MS; her two sons, Royce Edwin Windham III (Kaitlin) of Petal, MS, and Jacob Matthew Windham (Hannah) of Mobile, AL; her sister, Lisa Walters (Roger) of Forest, MS; her two brothers, Edward Teale of Ocean Springs, MS, and Joey Hawkins of Bay Springs, MS; and her seven cherished grandchildren: Owen, Evangeline, Violet, Israel, Asher, Josiah, and Malachi Windham.

She was preceded in death by her foster parents, Harold and Evelyn Dennis; her sister, Rebecca Teale; and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Royce and Ocita Windham.