Whitney Houston's home church mourns

Elise Amendola / AP

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

Whitney Houston is being mourned nationwide, but her death especially hit home at The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., where she grew up singing at services.

Reporter Todd Johnson from msnbc.com's partner, theGrio.com, went to the church and spoke to members. Bouquets of flowers have been attached to a fence in front of the church.

One note references one of Houston's top hits, "I Will Always Love You," reading "To Whitney Houston and the entire Houston family: Newark loves you and will always love you."

"In the '80s and the '90s, it was Whitney," said Thomas Ellis. "Before there was a Beyonce, there was Whitney."

Another?church member, Bob Thomas,?remembers his wife telling him about Houston's astounding performances at the church when she was just a young girl. She began singing solos at the church at age 11, around 1974. She was following in the footsteps of her mother, Grammy winner Cissy Houston.

"I didn't attend that much then, but my wife used to attend,"?Thomas said. "And my wife would tell me all the time about this young kid who could sing so great."

Watch Johnson's full report?below.

It was an emotional and difficult Sunday at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, following the news of singer Whitney Houston's sudden death. TheGrio.com's Todd Johnson reports.

Also, the church's paster spoke to msnbc TV and emphasized that as of Sunday?afternoon, funeral plans for Houston are unknown.

?What will be your enduring memory of Whitney Houston? Tell us on Facebook.?

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Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/12/10390164-whitney-houstons-home-church-mourns

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