Carter G. Woodson once said, “One becomes what one beholds.” I have been the beneficiary of beholding pulpit geniuses and ministerial giants who continue to challenge me to become better. This page is dedicated to mentors and models that have inspired and influenced both who I am as well as my concept of ministry. God has used them, some personally and some vicariously, to contribute to my development.
Frederick D. Haynes, III
Frederick D. Haynes, III
Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, Sr.My grandfather, for whom I’m named, pastored over 40 years including a 38-year pastorate at historic Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. I don’t recall hearing him preach but those who did spoke of his poetic language and commitment to Jesus and justice. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker and others have shared with me that my grandfather was an avid supporter of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Under his leadership Third Baptist received and hosted guest such as Josephine Baker, W.E.B Dubois, Paul Robeson as well as Dr. King. He was the first African American to run for the San Francisco County board of supervisors. My grandfather, as a shepherd, fed the sheep and fought the wolves.
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Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, Jr.
“A long life is not good enough but a good life is long enough.” This sentence, spoken in tribute to my father at his funeral reflects who he was and has given me a sense of urgency in my life and ministry. Even though he died when I was 14, I am still influenced and challenged by his loving example as a man, father and pastor. Some of my fondest memories involved me imitating him at church and at home. Because he was such a good man, wonderful father and caring pastor, I knew I would do well if I would emulate him even now. My father served as pastor at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Palo Alto, CA from 1967 to 1971. Members of Jerusalem still appreciatively and lovingly remember him for his shepherd’s heart. He succeeded and served his father as pastor of Third Baptist in San Francisco for 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days. His tenure, though brief, was characterized by pastoral care and community involvement.
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Dr. Charles G. Adams
Dr. Adams, or Papa A, continues to inspire and challenge me to unite the anointing of the Holy Spirit with academia and activism in my ministry and messages. To hear Dr. Adams preach is to appreciate pulpit genius that is scholarly, soulful and Spirit filled. The greatness of Papa A is only exceeded by his warmth and kindness! He is a good man with a great heart.
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Dr. E. K. Bailey
E.K. adopted me as younger brother early in my ministry. When I came to Bishop College in 1978, Concord Baptist Church was only 3 years old but was beginning to experience explosive growth because of his powerful preaching. Under his leadership Concord became a model for church growth fed by expository preaching. Dr. Bailey was instrumental in helping me to understand the art and science of church growth and development. He also was highly influential in facilitating my appreciation for biblical exposition and creativity in preaching. I am forever indebted to E.K. for his friendship, teaching and example as a man and minister.
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Dr. Amos C. Brown
After the untimely death of my father, in 1976, Third Baptist Church called Dr. Amos C. Brown, Sr., a protégé of Medgar Evers and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to serve as pastor of the historic church. Dr. Brown energized Third Baptist and arrested my attention with his courageous, scholarly prophetic preaching and civil rights activism. He led a boycott of the San Francisco Public School System for its mistreatment of black students. He appointed me; a student leader, and I addressed the mass meeting, “my first foray into community activism and public oratory on behalf of a social issue.” Under Dr. Brown I accepted my call to preach and subsequently I was licensed and ordained by him. I continue to be appreciatively influenced by his social justice preaching, community leadership and pastoral care.
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Dr. Teresa Fry Brown
A "Soul Sister" and Queen of the pulpit is the phenomenal professor, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown. She is richly gifted as both one who teaches preaching and preaches what she teaches. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown embodies what it means to be a "homilitician." Each time I've been privileged to hear her preach I have always been inspired by her message and informed by her homiletics. The students who are privileged to matriculate in her classes are richly blessed.
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Dr. Claudette CopelandDr. Claudette Copeland is one of my favorite people and preachers. This queen of the pulpit preaches powerfully and her sermons have always touched me personally. Her testimony as an overcomer of cancer adds even more power to her graceful pulpit presence and proclamation. She and her husband, Bishop David Copeland lead one of the great ministries in the nation at New Creation Christian Fellowship in San Antonio, TX. Both of them have graciously adopted me as their younger brother.
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Ms. Homoselle Davis
Ms. Davis is not a licensed or ordained minister; however, she ministered to me profoundly and forever influenced my life and ministry. Ms. Davis was my high school counselor. She also taught Afro-American Literature, where she exposed our class to African American history and literature while injecting in all of us a strong sense of Black pride and consciousness!
I met Ms. Davis shortly after my father made his transition. She was used by God to rescue me from despair and failure. An English teacher at Lincoln High School had given our class an essay writing test. The test happened to be given the first day after my father's funeral. The teacher assessed my writing skills as inadequate and graded me accordingly, completely insensitive to my emotional state of sorrow. I left class after receiving the grade ready to give up and drop out of school. Ms. Davis saw me and invited me to her office. Upon learning of the disparaging comments of the English teacher and my subsequent decision to give up, she lovingly encouraged and uplifted me with her belief in me and her forecast concerning my future. In the days following she continuously challenged me to be my best. Ms. Davis exposed me to great African American leaders and orators and never ceased to remind me of the eloquent genius of Frederick Douglass. In the language of Howard Thurman, she put a crown above my head that I will forever attempt to grow tall enough to wear. |
Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr.
I have long appreciated and admired Dr. Holmes as one who modeled what it means to have the heart of a shepherd, mind of a scholar and the spirit of a prophet. Dr. Holmes provided for me a model of what a church, rooted in liberation theology and sacred scripture would look like during his fruitful pastoral tenure at St. Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. St. Luke became the unofficial spiritual and social activist headquarters for Dallas under his leadership. Even though Dr. Holmes is retired from the pastorate he is still sought after for his wise and prophetic counsel and he continues to make a difference through those he inspires and influences.
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Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson arrested my attention when he visited and spoke at Bishop College while I was a student. His charisma was captivating and his message was a moving call to action. I have followed and been influenced by his ministry in the years since his visit to my beloved college campus.
I have appreciatively watched him open doors politically, economically and socially as he has embodied what it means to "speak truth to power." I have been inspired and empowered listening to him address political conventions, Baptist conventions and churches. He never fails to expose and challenge unjust systems while exhorting and encouraging the disinherited, whose "backs are against the wall." Rev. Jackson's brilliant political and social analysis and profound sense of history make him one of the greatest prophetic preachers of our time. |
Rev. William Augustus Jones, Jr.
Dr. Jones first came to my attention during my days as a student at Bishop College. It was providential that I chose his book "God in the Ghetto" to do a book report on. In reflection, it is clear that reading "God in the Ghetto" and writing a response to this insightful book opened my eyes, further, to the need for prophetic preaching and social justice ministry.
Dr. Jones was a towering figure who warmly welcomed me into his cadre of protegees. He honored me with the opportunity to preach a revival at Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York where he served over 40 years as pastor. The genius of Dr. Jones was seen in his remarkable ability to be equally at home preaching in a backwoods church as he was in a prestigious academic university. He courageously "spoke truth to power" and built a model church ministry. He dared to proclaim and practice that God is at work in the ghetto bringing hope and healing to the hood. |
Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
I was only 7 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated; however, I do recall the pall of sadness that covered our home and the grief that gripped our community. Even my 2nd grade teacher, who was white, was visibly shaken and sad as she sought to explain who he was to our class the next day. I was moved that one man had such an impact on so many people.
As a student matriculating at Bishop College, I became a vicarious protegee of Dr. King. I devoured every book written by him and about him. I researched and read periodicals and news reports that covered the life and times of the "Drum Major for Justice!" The prophetic ministry of Dr. King and his determination to "Redeem the Soul of America" helped to change the United States of America and inspired oppressed people all over the world. The ministry of the Anointed Agitator from Atlanta, from the sanctuary to the streets, to the corporate and politicos suites, continues to inform and challenge my sense of ministry and Christian commitment. |
Dr. John D. Mangram
Dr. John Mangram approached life and his relationship with his Lord "with head and heart" to use the language of his mentor, Dr. Howard Thurman. "Doc" was a man of silk and steel. As one of his students (I dare say his favorite) I experienced the warmth of his heart and I was constantly challenged and informed by his brilliant mind and towering theological intellect.
Dr. Mangram served as Dean of the Chapel and was Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at now defunct, but never dead, Bishop College! I was privileged to "sit at his feet" in Homiletic's, Systematic Theology and while visiting his office, he disrupted my theological comfort zone and challenged me to think critically. In the process, he opened my mind to experience God, through Jesus Christ, in ways I had never imagined. The late Dr. John Dee Mangram was a masterful teacher who continues to enlighten me! |
Dr. Frederick G. Sampson, II
As a teenager I had a bad case of "Attention Deficit Disorder" when I was listening to sermons in church. I was miraculously "cured" when I heard Dr. Sampson preach. Dr. Sampson captivated my attention and stirred my imagination with his ability to paint pictures with words. Dr. Sampson was a poet in the pulpit. He was the first person to convince me that intelligence was cool! He moved me with his insightful and heart stirring illustrations.
Doc, who served as pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan particularly blessed me after my father passed. He was the guest preacher for the San Francisco "City-Wide" Revival. During his preliminary comments he noticed me sitting in the balcony of the church. He spoke lovingly of me and my late father. I was deeply touched and blown away! This great man and phenomenal preacher appreciatively acknowledged me! Dr. Sampson then proceeded to preach with awesome power!! That was Dr. Frederick G. Sampson, a good man and a tremendous preacher. |
Dr. Manuel Scott, Sr.
My life was richly blessed by this wonderful man who may have been physically short, but was a giant of a preacher with an even bigger heart. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, the greatest preacher of the 20th century, proclaimed that while experiencing Dr. Scott preaching during the prestigious Hampton University Minister's Conference, "the more he preached, the taller he became."
Dr. Scott, was a man of integrity, with a keen intellect that was fed by his voracious reading appetite. These qualities made him wonderfully infectious. After hearing Dr. Scott preach, one wanted to live better, pray deeper and read more. In Baptist gatherings he was a "pied piper of preachers" as ministers of the gospel flocked to hear him and yearned to be in his presence. He insisted that preaching be "portable" so that people could "take home" what they heard in church. He was an amazing wordsmith, who with the artistry of a poet, masterfully used alliteration and imagery as he powerfully proclaimed the Word. Dr. Scott had such a warm, winsome and winning personality that I greedily spent as much time with him as possible. The time I was privileged to spend in his presence became moments of matriculation in the "University of Manual Scott." He taught me so much about life, relationships, pastoring, theology and preaching. One of the highest compliments I have received was to hear other preachers at various Baptist conventions’ referring to me as "Scott's boy." I positively interpreted that "Scott's boy" meant that I was a protégé of a preaching phenom who was, very much, a good man. |
Dr. Harry S. Wright, Sr.Dr. Harry S. Wright has been such a model as a man and minister that one could say that I "wanted to be just like him when I grew up!" Dr. Wright was serving as Dean of the Chapel at Bishop College when I enrolled in my beloved Alma mater as a freshman. I was struck by his charisma and cool as he strolled across campus as if he "had an appointment to keep with himself." When I heard him preach in chapel I was moved and mesmerized by his message and his homiletical method. He later served as President of Bishop College before surrendering to the call to serve as pastor of the historic Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.
I often imagined Shakespeare swooning and Langston Hughes smiling as they witnessed the elegant eloquence and picturesque poetry of a Harry S. Wright sermon. I still remember suggestive stories and powerful phrases that touched my spirit that still inform my life. Students and faculty filled the Carr P. Collins Chapel on Fridays when it was known that Dr. Wright was preaching. Perhaps my favorite "class" while matriculating at Bishop College was sitting in his office and listening to him. This "class" continued as I was privileged to preach for him 15 consecutive years at Cornerstone for Christian Education Week. In one "class" he shared with me that the key to finding illustrations is to always wear my "sermonic eyeglasses" because God may surprise one with revelation and inspiration while reading, watching television, walking and living. Suffice it to say, Dr. Wright is one of the great influences in my life. |
Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.
Dr. Wright has blessed my life with his model ministry, prophetic preaching paradigm and prowess and huge heart. I was an appreciative admirer of Dr. Wright before I met him. He had built a reputation for his powerful preaching in the pulpit and for the progressive social activism that characterized Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago under his pastoral leadership. While the United States of America was "constructively engaging" with the apartheid regime in South Africa he dared to erect a sign in the front of the church that declared "Free South Africa!" During this time, PBS aired a special show covering the ministry of Dr. Wright and Trinity.
I met Dr. Wright in 1987 when he was the featured guest preacher for the 125th Anniversary of my home church, Third Baptist in San Francisco. I was in complete awe of this brilliant, bold and "unapologetically Black" preacher/prophet. To my surprise, he disarmed my feeling of inadequacy in his presence with his jokes, warmth and generous comments about my gifts. This was the beginning of a relationship that has edified me as a man, preacher and pastor. Father to the Jeezy/Daddy J (I call him this in appreciation for him being a second father to me; plus he's so cool and hip) is unmatched in his ability to harmonize pastoral care with prophetic courage. The explosive numerical growth experienced by Trinity under his leadership did not preclude him from attempting to minister to each member, especially in a time of crisis. I thought I was one of only a few to have received his loving letters, but when I referred to a letter he had written me while preaching at Trinity, the whole church erupted in acknowledgement of having been blessed by one of his personal letters. The prophetic preaching of Dr. Wright is characterized by theological and biblical scholarship, Afrocentric consciousness, political and social analysis that "speaks truth to power" while empowering the powerless. One leaves a Dr. Wright sermon spiritually lifted while feeling empowered and determined to redemptively revolutionize the world. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. has the heart of a prophet and the mind of a scholar who lovingly follows Jesus Christ. |
A Dedication To My Best Friend
Dr. Marvis P. May, Sr.
November 7, 1960 - November 24, 2007
I was not fortunate to have biological brothers but God saw fit to bless me with a best friend and spiritual brother in the late Dr. Marvis Proctor May, Sr. Marvis and I met while we were students at Bishop College. We discovered that we were born three days apart, with Marvis being my "elder." We eventually pledged Alpha Phi Alpha as line brothers and conspired to "run the campus!" Bishop College was the birthing space for a friendship that will never cease to positively impact my life.
Marvis seemed to be omnipresent at all of the significant events and celebratory occasions of accomplishment in my life. He was there when I preached my first sermon. He preached my first revival series at Friendship - West Baptist Church. Marvis stood as my best man when I married Debra Peek. He stood and lovingly served as the godfather to my daughter, Abeni Jewel. He attended both of my post graduate commencement exercises. Marvis was "always there" as a source of support.
Every Saturday evening we would share what we were preaching the next day, providing helpful feedback to each other and we would pray together. Marvis helped to make me a better man and a better preacher.
Marvis moved through life in "5th gear." He graduated from Bishop College in three years. He earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees before he was 30. Even though I was moving in gears 1 through 4, Marvis never stopped encouraging me to step my game up and handle my academic business.
Marvis was the embodiment of what it means to be a loving and loyal friend. He was an enemy to my weaknesses, while never being judgmental. My best friend built me back up when life had broken me. He recognized my strengths, often, before I did. We had a healthy competition when it came to reading books. We were always trying to find a great book before the other did so that we could pass it on. He blessed me to serve as the godfather to his two wonderful children, MJ and Christina.
Finally, Marvis was a wonderful pastor to the great people of Macedonia Baptist Church. He blessed me to preach the revival for Macedonia for many years. I learned much watching the loving way he tended to the flock at Macedonia. Marvis modeled pastoral care with a shepherd's heart.
I miss my best friend, but his love and legacy continue to live with me.
Thank you, Marvis P!
Marvis seemed to be omnipresent at all of the significant events and celebratory occasions of accomplishment in my life. He was there when I preached my first sermon. He preached my first revival series at Friendship - West Baptist Church. Marvis stood as my best man when I married Debra Peek. He stood and lovingly served as the godfather to my daughter, Abeni Jewel. He attended both of my post graduate commencement exercises. Marvis was "always there" as a source of support.
Every Saturday evening we would share what we were preaching the next day, providing helpful feedback to each other and we would pray together. Marvis helped to make me a better man and a better preacher.
Marvis moved through life in "5th gear." He graduated from Bishop College in three years. He earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees before he was 30. Even though I was moving in gears 1 through 4, Marvis never stopped encouraging me to step my game up and handle my academic business.
Marvis was the embodiment of what it means to be a loving and loyal friend. He was an enemy to my weaknesses, while never being judgmental. My best friend built me back up when life had broken me. He recognized my strengths, often, before I did. We had a healthy competition when it came to reading books. We were always trying to find a great book before the other did so that we could pass it on. He blessed me to serve as the godfather to his two wonderful children, MJ and Christina.
Finally, Marvis was a wonderful pastor to the great people of Macedonia Baptist Church. He blessed me to preach the revival for Macedonia for many years. I learned much watching the loving way he tended to the flock at Macedonia. Marvis modeled pastoral care with a shepherd's heart.
I miss my best friend, but his love and legacy continue to live with me.
Thank you, Marvis P!