Mary McClinton
Pastor Mary Alice McClinton, D.D., was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Taylor and Mary Martin who would describe her as a “quiet and reserved child who was always deep in thought.” As a child, she recalls struggling to create songs that could reflect what was in her heart, and learning from her mother to know and love the Lord. As early as age 12, Pastor Mary expressed an overwhelming desire to minister the love of God to others, working alongside her mother visiting the sick and “shut-in,” as well as helping to prepare and deliver meals to homeless shelters and individuals in need. Learning to live the life of a servant would prepare Pastor Mary to fulfill her calling in the Ministry of Helps as an adult, and enable her to enjoy a loving relationship with the Lord that has lasted for over 50 years.
When asked to share the things most important to her, Pastor Mary says: “My passion is to share the love of God with all who will hear. It is of great importance to me that both the community of believers, and non-believers alike, experience the tangible love of Christ. Our culture is inundated with demonic attacks that affect our thinking, vision, hearing, speaking, and the self, overall. Many are depressed because of the feeling of extreme loneliness and lack of relationship with our Heavenly Father. Guilt, poverty, addiction, clinical depression, and alcoholism are to name a few of the torments thrust upon society at large. My heart is to demonstrate the love of God without partiality. The wonderful turn of events is the beauty of forgiveness. Old things are then passed away and, think of it, all things has become new… a new way of thinking, hearing, speaking, walking out a marvelous destiny in faith with confidence, knowing [they] are not alone. Yes, my desire is to reveal the Father to as many as will receive this impartial gift with open arms. Let us remember we need not be perfect before coming to the Lord. God calls imperfect people who want to be perfected, and that is you and I.”
Pastor Mary has served as an ordained minister in several capacities for over 33 years. In her youth, she would become the youngest minister appointed to the Missionary and Teacher’s Ministry in Chicago, and was co-founder of several institutional and outreach organizations including the Fisherman’s Net Evangelistic Outreach Ministry. In addition to serving in these organizations, she could always be found doing things like delivering communion elements to homebound congregants, teaching Sunday school, serving with the Mother’s House ministry to provide cooking, cleaning, laundry and shopping services for senior citizens, and providing hot meals, transportation to church services, and mentoring to Chicago Housing Authority youth, just to name a few.
From 1971 to the present, Pastor Mary has provided pastoral leadership while working in the capacity of public speaker and mentor for programs such as the Austin Adopt-a-Grandparent Youth Program. She became both a licensed Missionary and licensed Evangelist before going on to continue her educational pursuits under the leadership of Apostle Clifford E. Turner of Chicago’s Liberty Temple. She would then go on to serve with the Help’s Ministry, the Lay Ministry, and become an ordained Evangelist as a member of Crusader’s Church West before moving on to become co-pastor of Life Development Ministries and co-founder of the Life Development Center, C.D.C. of Chicago, Illinois, both under the leadership of Elders Lonzo and Amia Harris.
Pastor Mary is currently an Associate Pastor with Kingdom Reformation Christian Center where Carol Turner is the Senior Pastor. She has developed a reputation as an anointed seamstress, producing countless dance garments, choir robes, etc. for many Believers over the years, and enjoys crafts projects, giving words of inspiration to those who come to glean from her wisdom, and spending quality time with Phillip, her loving husband of 42 years, as well as her son, grandson, and daughter-in-law.