Winston-Salem native Rev. Marlon Millner will be formally installed as pastor of McKinley Memorial Baptist Church in Willow Grove, Pa. this week.
“God called me, I was anointed, and then I was appointed to be this church’s shepherd,” Millner told the Philadelphia Tribune.
Millner took the pulpit at McKinley Memorial more than seven months ago. The weeklong slate of installation services will feature Dr. W. Wilson Goode (the first black mayor of Philadelphia), whom Millner calls a “friend and personal mentor,” the Cheyney University Concert Choir and a slew of other dignitaries.
“More important than any installation is the fact that this is the flock that God has given me to serve,” Millner said. “When my family arrived at McKinley, the people were very gracious. There’s a real family spirit here with a rich history and a rich legacy that spans generations. They want this ritual because this is one of the [hallmarks] of this church who truly worships together.”
Millner is the son of Winston-Salem residents Elder and Mrs. Harry Millner. His father is pastor of St. John Apostle Church. Rev. Millner is a graduate of Glenn High School. After earning his undergraduate degree from Morehouse, Millner worked as a journalist. He then earned a Master of Divinity from Harvard.
He was ordained at the Philadelphia’s Redeemer Baptist Church after becoming a Pentecostal elder at the Apostle Church of God in Christ. He is the former communications director for American Baptist Churches USA. Before coming to McKinley Memorial, Millner was the associate pastor of Harold O. Davis Memorial Church in North Philadelphia.
Millner and his wife, Diana, have two children, 5-year-old E. J. and 3-year-old Imma.
