Ellis Grady Fulbright Sr.

Rev. Ellis Grady Fulbright Sr. was a North Carolina Baptist pastor who spent part of his ministry serving as a missionary in Zambia. He died on October 5, 2026, in Newton, North Carolina, at the age of 88, according to a death notice published by Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Newton, which is caring for the family.

Fulbright was born in 1938. Public reporting so far has focused on his identity as a longtime pastor in North Carolina's Baptist community and his years of missionary work in Zambia, though the full span of his ministry, the churches he led, and the years he served overseas have not yet been detailed in available reports. As more obituary and tribute material becomes public, this page will be updated with a fuller account of his career.

His death was first reported through a funeral home death notice rather than a lengthy published obituary, and early coverage has been limited to confirming that he passed away, his age, and his twin identity as a pastor and a missionary. News outlets and church communities that knew him have not yet issued detailed public statements, though tributes are expected to follow as word spreads through the congregations and mission networks he was part of.

Fulbright's life reflected a vocation common to many Southern Baptist ministers of his generation: pastoral service at home paired with a commitment to missionary work abroad. His time in Zambia placed him among the generations of American Baptist missionaries who worked in southern Africa during the latter half of the twentieth century, though specifics of his placement, the churches or missions he served, and the dates of his time there have not been confirmed by available sources.

Arrangements following his death are being handled by Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton, North Carolina. Details of a funeral or memorial service had not been made public at the time of this report. This page will be updated as service details, survivors, and further biographical information become available.