Terrance M. McKinley

Director of Racial Justice Mobilizing

An itinerate elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Terrance M. McKinley is racial justice mobilizing director at Sojourners and also leading our Matthew 25 work, which is dedicated to racialized policing, immigration, and religious freedom. Rev. McKinley has a demonstrated commitment to matters related to faith and justice. He currently serves on the ministerial staff at Reid Temple AME Church where he launched the Moral Agenda Summit hosted at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and he helped design and launch the congregation’s Commission on Social Action.

Rev. McKinley served for 10 years as a member of the ministerial staff of The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, where former congressman Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake serves as senior pastor and Rev. Dr. Elaine M. Flake serves as co-pastor.

He was ordained in the A.M.E. Church at age 23. He is an alum of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he earned his bachelor's degree and holds honors. He is also an alum of Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J., where he earned his Master of Divinity degree.

Essence Magazine recognized Rev. McKinley as a “Do Right Man” because of his work in the community beyond the walls of the church. The African American Pulpit Journal honored him alongside professors, pastors, and preachers from across the country as one of “The 20 to Watch Leaders Under 40.”

Posts By This Author

Pastoring Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares

by Terrance M. McKinley 02-04-2021

Volunteer hands out masks for coronavirus disease survival kits as part of an outreach program to the Black community to increase vaccine trial participation in Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2020. REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario

Early in the pandemic, during one of my “church check-ins” over Zoom, I opened the floor for our members to share any challenges they might be facing as a result of the shutdown so we could be more responsive and supportive. After a few responses, the call went surprisingly silent. I prodded the group and one of our wisest, most active retirees surprised me with her contribution: “We’ve been through challenging times before. We are resilient people. We are okay.”

It’s Time to Be the Conscience of American Politics

by Adam Russell Taylor, by Jim Simpson, by Terrance M. McKinley, by Melody Zhang, by Paola Fuentes Gleghorn, by Rose Marie Berger 01-21-2021

President Joe Biden addresses the nation after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/Pool/File Photo

I believe fervently in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said that “the church is not called to be the master or servant of the state, but to be the conscience of the state.” In that vein, we will be neither chaplain nor sycophant to our new political leaders. Instead, we seek to be a faithful conscience, serving as a bridge-builder and offering prophetic critique (and pressure) when necessary.

Poll Chaplains Report Intimidation Attempts, Stories of Hope

by Barbara Williams-Skinner, by Terrance M. McKinley 11-05-2020

Rev. Kwasi Thornell, right, offers faithful presence outside a polling site in Miami, Nov. 3, 2020. Photo: Tony Barreau / Sojourners

In Alabama, polling sites in low-income areas of Birmingham were relocated with no explanation and very little warning to residents – many of whom typically struggle to acquire a reliable means of transportation. Luckily, poll chaplain commissioner Sheila Tyson was there to galvanize the community and organize free rideshare services to get these voters safely to the polls and back home.

If Not Now, When?

by Terrance M. McKinley 08-27-2020

A sign is displayed near a bottle of alcohol and flowers left in tribute to the victims of a shooting during Tuesday night's protests, at the site of the incident in Kenosha, Wis., Aug. 26, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

On Sunday, Aug. 23 at Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha, Wis., police in broad daylight in front of his three sons ages 3, 5, and 8. The bullets damaged Blake’s spinal cord and left him paralyzed. His brutal shooting has not only left his body broken but it has also affected the psyche of his young children — another generation gripped by fear of police.

Trump's Dangerous Election Rhetoric

by Jim Wallis, by Adam Russell Taylor, by Terrance M. McKinley 07-30-2020

President Donald Trump speaks to the news media at the White House, July 29, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

This morning President Trump posted the following unconscionable tweet regarding our upcoming election that dishonors Congressman Lewis’ legacy and poses a direct threat to our democracy:

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

The Church's Apathy to the Earth Exposes the Gap in Discipleship

by Terrance M. McKinley 09-13-2018

But during that conversation with Rev. Dr. Durley, I realized that there is one compelling reason that Christians should all care about the earth — generational legacy. We have to create a legacy of and a world that is safe for future generations to breathe in, live in, and thrive in