Calvin McKinney is Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church of North Jersey at Garfield, New Jersey, where he has served since June, 1972. While administering an ever expanding ministry, Dr. McKinney enjoys a full preaching ministry that has taken him throughout this country, as well as the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean Islands. In addition to being honored to preach in many of the “Famed Pulpits” in at least 30 of these 50 United States, one of his most memorable opportunities came during the Centennial Session of his beloved National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama in 1980.
He served as the youngest Moderator in the history of the North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association from 1986 through 1990; and served from 1996 through 2000 in an unprecedented tenure as one the youngest Presidents in the history of the 300,000 member General Baptist Convention of New Jersey, Inc. That exemplary leadership was rewarded by declaring him President Emeritus. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., and as a Vice-President of the Executive Board, Hampton University Ministers’ Conference. For 21 years he served as Director (Section 1, Youth Division) of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
In addition to his role as a Pastor and a denominational leader in the Baptist church, Pastor McKinney has served the community in a wide-ranging number of capacities. He presently serves on the Governor’s staff of the state of New Jersey as Chair of the Commission on Faith-Based Initiatives for New Jersey. He serves and has served the city of Passaic, New Jersey as a member of the City Redevelopment Agency, Commissioner of the Housing Authority and as the Public Safety Chaplain; Trustee, Bergen-Passaic County Health Systems Agency, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the U.C.C. Day Care Center #100; Trustee, Passaic County Community College; a board member of the Bergen County Urban League, NJ; an Executive Board member of the Garfield/Lodi Branch of the NAACP, NJ; and a member of Mt. Zion Lodge#50, F.&A.M.(PHA) of Hackensack, NJ. Pastor McKinney’s faith conviction has evidenced itself influentially in the Presidential Campaigns of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in 1984 and 1988; William Jefferson Clinton in 1992 and 1996; the U.S. Senatorial Campaign of Robert Torricelli in 1996; the Gubernatorial Campaign of Jim McGreevey in 1997; and the U.S. Senatorial Campaign of Jon Corzine in 2000 and the 2005 Gubernatorial Campaign of Jon Corzine. In 1998 he was honored and recognized for his civic challenges to the State of New Jersey by Governor Christine Todd Whitman.
Pastor McKinney’s undergraduate work was completed at William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey and his graduate studies were completed through the National Theological Seminary and College, Baltimore, Maryland, where he was also honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree.
In 2003, led by the vision given by God, Pastor McKinney guided the people of God called Calvary in the construction of a $10 million, 1,500 seat sanctuary, which includes Educational, Fellowship and Administrative Complexes; all to the glory of God, the edification of fellow believers and the salvation of humankind.
