SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend Mayor James Mueller, along with council members, and other community leaders gathered at the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Grant Street Wednesday morning to honor former Church of God in Christ Church Superintendent Samuel Diggins Sr. with an honorary street renaming ceremony.

Two other signs were installed at the intersection of Grant Street and Delaware Street and Grant Street and Indiana Street after the ceremony.

"It's such a great honor for such a great man be recognized on today, a great honor, and he deserves every bit of it, and even the church and all the people that are here we honor him on today," said Sameul's wife Ruth Diggins said.

"Once you do your job and allow God to lead and to guide you to do your job. Then when it's over, this that's where we can honor it, and this being an honor, a day of honor for him, for the great things that he has done."

Described as a beloved spiritual leader, devoted husband, and pillar of the South Bend community, Diggins became the pastor of Believers Church of God in Christ in 1987, where he led for 36 years.

"He was just a great man of God, one that helped, I mean, established businesses that's here now," Samuel's son and current Pastor at Believers Church of God in Christ, Jeffery Diggins said. 

"He helped them from ground start, you know, established businesses, and that's what his dream were, to see as many people just get started, just be on their own and do their own and, you know, and he was more. He was so family ordered. He wanted families to be together and to stake it, stay together and to love one another. And he just, he was just a great, great man, great man."

Diggins served the SBCSC for 17 years before dedicating himself fully to ministry and entrepreneurship.

Under Samuel Diggins' leadership, city officials say the church paid off its mortgage and flourished at the corner of Prairie and Indiana Streets.

Diggins also served as Superintendent of the True Vision District and held numerous leadership roles within the Church of God in Christ.

"One thing, he took the church and the community at heart, even in his business, his drywall business, whatever he did, he took it to the heart," Ruth said. "And it wasn't so much the job that he was doing for the people, but it was the job that he had for God as well. So, he always put God first, and he done his job well."