HONORING AND REMEMBERING THE REV. DR. SAMUEL B. MCKINNEY
In the classrooms and community life of Colgate Rochester Divinity School, a young seminarian named Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney was being formed for a ministry that would reach far beyond the walls of the academy. Earning his Master of Divinity in 1952 and later his Doctor of Ministry in 1975 from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, during a time shaped by the enduring legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., CTS ‘51, Dr. McKinney carried with him a deep conviction that faith must be lived publicly, shaped by peace, grounded in service, and driven by justice. Those years were not simply about study; they were about calling, preparing him to become both pastor and prophet in a world urgently in need of both. His theological voice was further shaped through his engagement in the Martin Luther King Fellows in Black Religious Studies program, where he contributed to the emerging field of Black religious studies, including his thesis work Church Administration in the Black Perspective , co written with Rev. Dr. Floyd Massey Jr. His ministry took root in Seattle, Washington, where Rev. Dr. McKinney served for decades as pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, becoming a prominent voice for faith based community engagement and racial equality. In the face of entrenched injustice, he stood alongside communities willing to act, leading boycotts of major downtown businesses with a clear and uncompromising message, “Do not shop where you cannot work.” These were not just words, but a strategy rooted in dignity and economic justice, one that helped open doors of employment and opportunity for African Americans. His ministry became a living testimony that the church could be both a spiritual home and a force for transformation in society. Throughout his life, Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney embodied the sacred call to ministry as pastor, activist, community organizer, and visionary. From the halls of Colgate Rochester to the streets of Seattle and beyond, his witness carried the fire of a movement rooted in faith and fueled by courage. Now, in what would be his 100th birthday, his Centennial Year, we, alongside his family, friends, classmates, and the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School community, remember and honor Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney as a lasting legacy, a giant of the faith, whose life continues to call us to be agents of peace, servants of compassion, and seekers of justice, participating faithfully in God’s ongoing work of renewal in the world.
Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney
VOICES IN THE CITY LEADERSHIP CELEBRATION SPONSORS
We are grateful to the many sponsors who made this year’s event possible:
Signature Leadership Sponsor American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Neighborhood Partner Sponsors American Baptist Churches of the Rochester/ Genesee Region Wegmans Keidel’s Janitorial Services Mr. Thomas A. Tupitza Mr. Peter H. Abdella Rev. Beverly Murrell-Frasier, CRCDS ‘20 Friend of Colgate Rochester Crozer Sponsors Rev. Angela D. Sims, Ph.D. and Mr. Terron D. Sims Rev. Dr. Michael J. Ford, CRCDS ‘12 and Mrs. Lara Ford Mark Arnold, Ph.D. Rev. Dr. Michael S. Laver, CRCDS ‘17 Young Prophets Collective
Visionary Partner Sponsor Alesco Advisors
Impact Partner Sponsors CMIT Solutions of Rochester Jerry E. Fisher, Ph.D. & Jonathan Rosenfeld Rev. Stuart J. Mitchell III, CRDS ‘70 & Martha Neubert Rev. Sue Forsyth, CRDS '95 Heritage Sponsors Mrs. Elizabeth Osta and Mr. David VanArsdale Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, CRCDS ‘00 and Ms. Brenda D. Lee Rev. Dr. Bonita L. Bates, CRCDS '05, '11, '24 Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA
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