Reverend Samuel McKinney: 40 Years of Faith

And. The. Local broadcast of this program is made possible in part by the subscribers of KC ts. Because. That. Guy. Had. A hit. But the better. Because this is. The last. Time. That the pastor of the Mount Zion. Church. Reverend. There. In. The Cloud. Land where. On this Sunday and era is ending. A person before. The end of this challenge.

It's the end of a markable career he really is a living. And like. He really is a giant in this community and across this country a career thats made history. Has been a catalyst. It's been a trailblazer. A career that's touched the lives of people from all walks of life. It is. His mission to care for and empower them least don't last the locked out the locked and the lost. These days there are few people who can say they've spent 40 years of their professional career in the same place. But then again there are few people like the Reverend Dr. Samuel Barry McKinney and his four decades as the pastor of Seattle's mob Zion Baptist Church. He's voted into the largest African-American church in the state of Washington and in the

process he's become an icon as a leader for civil rights and social justice. In Seattle the northwest and the rest of the country. I mean Rick asserted. And in this half hour a look at the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Samuel McKinney. His leadership his activism and most of all his faith. Yes mamma says yes Milo his office is quite empty and cluttered with 40 years of mementos and memories and these are my parents right here and my mother the sister who lived with us and these are my sisters who are twins and that's my brother who is 15 months older than I was taller than you so he said that with him with his longtime friend and leader Lacy Steele the

Reverend Samuel McKinney serves through the remnants of his past. I do not plan to run in your family somewhere. You're not in the running or showed up. Or you jog your memory and some things that you move past and move on. When you start on everything things that's gonna just do so where you know you've been digging up stuff they don't know they're always finding and they start digging. But there are stories behind a lot of things. Samuel McKinney story begins. Seventy one years ago he was the second of bored children in a family where religion and activism were a way of life. His grandfather on his mother's side the Reverend Samuel Timothy Barry was a Baptist minister. So was his father Reverend Dr. Wade Hampton McKinney. For 34 years he was the prominent pastor of the Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland Ohio

where Samuel and his siblings were raised before the city was a good Christian. On his news young Samuel was a bright mischievous boy why often tested his parents divine patience. Growing up for him was not easy because again he was a P.K. and there are just kids. Yes he was a preacher's kid and there were double standards. He was expected to act one way while all of the other children acted another way so he had to test that standard. Fortunately Samuel's parents managed to keep him on a righteous path. They were educated people who believed strongly in family community service and activism McKinney's held high expectations for all of their children. Samuel wasn't about to let them down in 144 he entered a Morehouse College in Atlanta. His father's all modern intended to become a lawyer

among the members of his class was another preacher's kid. Martin Luther King Jr.. Yes in fact that that or that. He was the son of a minister and we had met at some conventions and. We were both trying to be refugees from the hot air of the religious assembly. He was a serious student. It was only on campus during the day. Is on a five foot seven. Some people called him run. He competed in several oratorical contests and didn't win a single one at the end of his freshman year at Morehouse. Samuel received a call from Uncle Sam drafting him into the army when he returned to the school nearly two years later. He played on the Morehouse football team and made an unexpected decision about his future like his father Samuel McKinney would become a preacher. And found it was something I could not escape. What I did was of my own choice and choosing because I think I surprised to hear what I

was going to do. By the time he graduated from Divinity School. The Reverend Samuel McKinney had met his match. A member of his father's church in Cleveland. Her name was Louise Jones. She was smart educated and strong willed. On June 4th 1953 they were married. When you first met him. What do you think. I thought he is a minister and I don't want to be bothered with investment I thought I really left. Certainly. Why was that. Well you know there are stereotypes about what ministers are like and. And what was the stereotype. This is the area type was that they were holy and righteous and Bible toting. And. You know and that life with them wasn't a great deal of fun and in addition they were poor and I wasn't interested in any of those things. But. It was wonderful spending time just talking to him and we you know we walk a lot. We grew

together. We grew together. After serving as an assistant at his father's church Reverend McKinney took on his first pastorate in 1955 at Olney Street Baptist Church in Providence Rhode Island. His was a community ministry. When we were in Providence Rhode Island. There were people. Who. Belong to other churches but when they had problems. Called him. The reverend's talent was noticed in Seattle by the leaders of Mount Zion Baptist Church were searching then for a new preacher. After three years in Rhode Island the Reverend decided to move west. Accepting an offer to become pastor of Mount Zion in 1058 the deep voice 31 year old pastors stepped into the church pulpit in the beginning of a 40 year journey. On your first day in the pulpit you said this to the congregation actually asked him a question. What do

you see a man of God or someone who bobs and weaves with the wind. What were you saying to the folks. I didn't say you had to be activists but I did say that if you didn't want to go where headed don't bug me in. When Reverend McKinney started as Pastor Zion had a congregation of about 800 the Reverend felt that his mandate to increase the membership to raise church involvement in community affairs and to eventually build a new church. He quickly made plans to build an educational wing and brought the congregation a sense of economic empowerment with the creation of a church credit union that today has nearly five million dollars in assets. This was I was going to church was a place. Like community. That provided a forum for things to be discussed.

And where people could feel comfortable. For the reverend and his young family Seattle and Mt. Zion offered a great opportunity but the McKinney's quickly found that despite Seattle's reputation for racial tolerance discrimination was alive and kicking here. I think some of the other places might not have been as tolerant but I think they were the best. You knew where you stood. You knew what was bigoted what was races and or a cave the only reason we're sitting in this living room was it was because this was the only house that was worth purchasing that we could purchase. We had realtors who absolutely and positively would not show us anything decent. I can't remember ever having cried as much over anything as I cried over trying to find a home here in Seattle and the only place that I've ever lived that I was refused service in a

restaurant was here in Seattle the McKinney's felt they had a duty to push for change. He has the preacher to demand fair housing and civil rights. She has an educator to create opportunities for people of color in the Seattle School District. And so we didn't come here to stir the pot but the pot was sitting there waiting to baste or as it were in 1961 Reverend McKinney stirred up a controversy when he invited his college classmate a reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak in Seattle about the growing civil rights movement in America. In 1961 he was the most. There's a controversial black figure on the scene at that with a big crowd expected for The King's Speech. Reverend McKinney needed to find a large hall the old First Presbyterian Church had a huge auditorium and the gentleman who was the executive of the Presbyterian at that time suggested to me that I called the pastor of the church which I did.

He said fine. And then on the basis of that we started making plans. But just before Dr. King's appearance First Presbyterian backed out at a meeting a church official told Reverend McKinney that he had failed to follow proper procedures in booking the auditorium. He was considered too controversial. They were very fearful of it and we're not willing to risk taking Dr. King's appearance was moved to the Eagle thought of Toryism in downtown Seattle. It went off without a hitch but the disagreement with the First Presbyterian was not forgotten. A few weeks ago for my celebration 40 years I received a letter from the pastor of First Presbyterian and essence apologize for how the church treated us. Thirty seven years ago it was never too late. As the civil rights movement heated up in the 60s so did activism at

Mount Zion. Reverend McKinney was in the midst of it are pushing hard for voting rights along with an end to discrimination in housing and employment. We don't take a beating. People would gather their feelings about. Things were not happening in the things that were happening that were not right that have. Given so many that although many of them are. Most. Originated that. But these were stressful times especially for the Reverends family. His prominence in the civil rights struggle brought death threats. We were aware that there was as it were a hit list on the leadership of this community and his name was right there on that list. The girls were of course very aware of a lot of the threats. We could not allow them to answer the

phone nor could they answer the doorbell because we never knew what they would encounter. It was frightening it was it was very very difficult but we believed in what was was and but we believed in the movement we believed in the cause and we felt that we could overcome anything that we had to. In 1965 Reverend McKinney traveled south to join Dr. King in a march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. Shortly thereafter he heard a disturbing prediction from his long time friend. I was in Atlanta and had been in his home. And he mentioned that he knew that he would be. He said he then adjourned it as a point of no return and he'd gone too far to turn around and come back. The assassination of Dr. King in 1968 changed the tone of the civil rights struggle. In Seattle members of the Black Panthers and others

called for more militant action and the fight for civil rights. Some groups. Within the African-American community. Who felt the nonviolence had not worked became sort of turned on the person who had given leadership in the civil rights movement as being on this call in local times there were some threats. You have the purpose of the threat is to intimidate scare and stop you from doing what you and others have to say some to some people and say hey do it wrong or you're going to worry. But also if you're going to do that be prepared to face the consequences. The threats reached a high point in January 1969 with the murder of Edwin T pride. Pride was executive director of the Seattle Urban League at the time and a friend of

Reverend McKinney. He was shot in the head when he opened the border with home bus to get annoyed. With the shooter still at large police fear the Rev. McKinney would be the next victim. Edwin Pratt's killer was never apprehended despite police concern about the safety of Rev. McKinney. You pressed dog. Did you fear for your life. No I had to keep. Moving going couldn't stop because of that. Back in the community the reverend's long campaign for open housing finally paid off as Seattle's then Mayor Wes Solomon signed up their housing ordinance into law at Mt. Zion Rev. McKinney's plan to build a new church sanctuary took shape with construction beginning in the early 70s. During that time some of the reverend's critics learned a hard lesson about the depth of his support in the African-American community.

And I was considered part of the young. Turks and we didn't always see eye to eye on the strategies that black people ought to be using for their liberation. Today Larry Gossett is a metropolitan King County Council member but 30 years ago he was a brash community activist aligned with the Black Panthers when construction began on the new Mount Zion Church facility Gossett and others thought there were no minority workers on the crew. So they decided to hold a protest rally to shut down the site. But some of them don't know is if there was a mid at the church who are ready to blow some of them away. Yeah the so-called Young Turks the homework. We made sure that the contractors employed you. But minority for me and others in the work on the church. But the reaction that we got from grassroots people was

such that we had to come together and write a letter of apology because we had our eyes on TVs and aunts and mothers and neighbors calling us and you boys are wrong now close in on the church we understand what you've done but that was wrong. The pastor and the church means well we've done well. You all are wrong and we quickly got an order wrote a letter of. Apology apology. Did you forgive them when they apologize. After the turbulence of the 60s and the construction of a new church sanctuary. Reverend McKinney thought maybe he accomplished everything he could at Mt. Zion. Maybe it was time for him to move on. I do consider the possibility of doing both Seattle and bounds I'm back.

I didn't appear to be very nice churches on the East Coast but they weren't interested in me and so some things began to turn around here for the better. It might of been divine intervention. It might have also been the new sanctuary or the decision to broadcast Sunday services on the radio. Either way church membership started to grow and so did the Reverent spirit. Downside is not where it was 40 years ago. And Mount Zion congregation grew to nearly 3000. Reverend McKinney stature rose as well. Coming from the church gives you a place to speak about things that some politicians could never speak and to tell the truth to point out the ills in the wrongs and the things that are unjust that has been important in this community and it's grown and I've watched it grow over time that they've been canny.

And he stepped up to that role. We have to be concerned and do something about the least in the last and the last and the left. One of the let down of the locked into the locked up in the locked out in society. Politicians began to recognize the importance of the Reverent support several like King County executive Ron Sam's former governor Mike Lowery and former Seattle Mariners memorize are longtime members of Mount Zion. Others made it a point to visit the church at election time. All roads came into Mount Sinai if you wish to appeal to the African-American community in any way and people look for some sort of confirmation mechanic that you were the candidate. No one person is is is is the be all to your success. But I think one person against you can be the end all to your success. And I'd rather have read McKinney on my side there against me church then they have a resoundingly

name that. McKinney speaks people listen. To. They feel. The community respects his opinion. They look for his support and they will pass us so he'll publish in. Our monthly church newsletter. Just exactly how he's voting on every candidate and every issue and that becomes a very valuable piece of paper. And if people don't get it on Sunday they'll come to the church just before the election and say I didn't get it. I want it I need it where is it that I've told folks all the time. Far be it from me to tell any of you how to vote. I wouldn't even go there. However this is how I am building.

Are you a liberal. It's too bad the word liberal has been trashed. Part of that root word is liberation. That's part of what I interpret the gospel to be to set at liberty those that are about those who held out those who kept out those who have been denied access people have to be member rated from fear a truth everything else in order that they can truly live. They. Were a science congregation came to depend on the reverence commitment to freedom. Somebody else. Gone Wrong with the law. He was one of the first ministers in the city to ordain women. Yet he put himself on the line in the fight against apartheid and other social injustices. Politicians and national leaders sought his advice and

support on civil and human rights issues. But most value him for just being their preacher. A man of faith who has always been there. Good times and bad. I found the power of reading a kidney when my wife had an aneurism. Back in 1980 Dr. McKinney was the first call that I made. And right before surgery the surgeon left the surgeon left the operating room and he came into the family room and he said I'm looking for Dr. McKinney or her doctor McKinney was in the house. And Redmond he said I'm Dr. McKinney and the surgeon said you don't know me but I've heard of you and if you would be so kind as to just bless my hands

before I do this surgery. But I came out of it. Alive and healthy and then eventually had a little girl and so again I've McKinney's been a powerful force in our life and I have been on as he retires and becomes pastor emeritus of Mount Zion. Reverend McKinney leaves the church with a solid foundation. It remains a focal point in Seattle's African-American community. On any given day it's a bustling with activity. From choir practices to community meetings. There's an ethnic school and other activities for young people. A weekly food program provides hot meals to those in need. And soon a housing complex for seniors will open its doors. When he steps down people be able to say well done servant well done.

What matters to most life the lack of fairness destroys life fairness and ridges and hence is enables life and better life can evolve from sadness. What worries you most about. The direction of America today. That America as we know it that is supposed to be the home of the free and the land of the brave and all that sort of. Could be destroyed within the next century. Because again there are some males in our society who feel threatened by the fact. That this nation will no longer by the middle of this next century be the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant nation that it has been in the past history of seeing this as a plus. It really would make any evolve a stronger better nation.

That resembles what I think I had in mind when all of this was created. They're fearful of it. So the struggle is not over. Oh no. Far from it. My mind is made up. I don't know. Where. Are you going. I'm doing. After 40 years the Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney enters retirement with plans to write lecture and travel while he will no longer deliver sermons each week from Mt. Zion Sapulpa. He's quick to remind folks that the church can retire a pastor but only the Lord can retire a preacher. I hear that all Apple is. Still burning deep inside you. And it will be there as long as I live.

I make no apology for. With. With. With. The. With thank. You joining me on after the day. Long gone along with the phone. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF the program you've just seen. Please call us at 1 800 9 3 7 5 3 8 7 local broadcast of this program is

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