By: Jim Pyatt, WNCC Archivist & Historian

The Rev. Clarence Elroy Strickland, Sr. (August 9, 1919-December 8, 1999)

The Rev. Clarence E. Strickland, Sr. was one of the clergy who provided leadership in racial inclusiveness in the WNC Conference.  In 1969 when the appointments were read, he was appointed to serve as pastor at St. Mark’s UMC, Charlotte, in addition to serving the Mount Holly-Huntersville Charge. The significance of this appointment comes in the fact that his appointment to St. Mark’s UMC was one of the first two in the WNC Conference where an African-American was appointed to a predominantly white congregation (along with the Rev. James E. McCallum being appointed to Gillespie UMC at the same time in preparation for their merger with Simpson Memorial UMC).  This was a tremendous step toward racial inclusiveness in the WNC Conference.  The Rev. Strickland later became pastor of the second merger in the WNC Conference of a predominantly white congregation with a predominantly African-American congregation when he was appointed to serve St. Andrews-Grace UMC in Winston-Salem in 1986 following five years of service at St. Andrews UMC.  (Simpson-Gillespie UMC being the first such merger in the WNC Conference.)

The Rev. Strickland was born in Scotland County, NC.  He attended Fayetteville State University and Gammon Theological Seminary.  He was ordained Deacon in 1942, admitted On Trial in 1943, admitted in Full Connection in 1945, and ordained Elder in 1947 in the North Carolina Conference (Central Jurisdiction). The Rev. Strickland served the following appointments: St. Mark-Hickory Bend 1939-41; Goldsboro: St. John 1941-44; Philadelphia-St. Peter 1944-45; Shelby: Durham Memorial 1945-55; Charlotte: Simpson Memorial 1955-67; Hamlet: St. Peter-Philadelphia 1967-68; Mount Holly-Huntersville 1968-69; Mount Holly-Huntersville-St. Mark’s 1969-70; Charlotte: St. Mark’s 1970-71; High Point: St. Mark 1971-72; High Point: St. Mark-Brooks Memorial 1972-73; High Point: Memorial (a merger of St. Mark and Brooks Memorial) 1973-74; Reidsville: St. Paul-Wesley Chapel 1974-76; Hickory: Hartzell Memorial-McQueen’s Chapel 1976-81; Winston-Salem: St. Andrews 1981-86; Winston-Salem St. Andrews-Grace 1986-89.   The Rev. Strickland retired in 1989 following 50 years of pastoral ministry.  

As Dr. James Ferree once wrote, “Clarence Strickland was a distinguished pastor and community leader.  He was known for preaching the gospel with authority from the scriptures.  He served on several boards and agencies in the district and conference, both before and after merger [in 1968].  He is especially remembered in the conference for his love and friendship for his brothers and sisters in Christ.” (2000 Journal, 349)  Examples of his service on conference boards and agencies includes Board of Missions 1960-68; Commission on Archives and History 1952, 1972-76; Conference Board of Pensions 1954-55, 1976-80; Ethnic Minority Coordinating Committee 1983-84; Commission on Religion and Race 1984-85; Committee on Black Church Development 1985-86; Secretary, Audit Committee 1952-60; Secretary, Television, Radio, and Film Commission 1954-64.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we give thanks for the leadership of the Rev. Clarence E. Strickland.