Whitney Houston's funeral will be presided over by her longtime friend, Pastor Marvin Winans, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Winans, of the Detroit-based Perfecting Church, tells the paper that he will deliver the homily for the deceased singer at the request of Houston's mother, Cissy Houston.
Also read: Whitney Houston's Funeral to Be Held at Church She Attended as a Child
He had known "I Will Always Love You" singer Houston since the release of her first, self-titled album in the 1980s. Winans told the paper that he had last seen Houston in late 2011, when she attended services at Perfecting Church while filming the sequel to the 1976 film "Sparkle."
Winans' sister, noted gospel singer CeCe Winans, was also close with Houston.
Also read: Whitney Houston Was "Underwater and Apparently Unconscious," Police Say
As reported on Tuesday, Houston's funeral will be held at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. The invitation-only services begin at noon.
Houston died Saturday at the age of 48. According to police, the singer was found "underwater and apparently unconscious" in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel suite by a member of her staff. Emergency responders were unable to revive her.
A cause of death has not yet been announced, pending the results of a toxicology test, which could take weeks to complete.