Remembering Pastor Glenn McKinney: A Shepherd Who Served His City and His People

Pastor Glenn McKinney leads a prayer as one of Shane Harris’s Gas Me Up community events gets underway. Standing beside him, community members bow their heads in reflection and unity. Shane Harris, wearing a black jacket embroidered with “President,” stands to McKinney’s left. The moment captures a spirit of faith, service, and togetherness at the event. March 2022.

By Staff Writer, San Diego Monitor News

San Diego — A lingering hush settled across the sanctuary of Spring Valley's Faith Chapel on a Friday October 10,2025 afternoon as church members, family, clergy, and community leaders filled every pew to celebrate the life of Pastor Glenn McKinney, the beloved leader whose voice had guided generations in faith and service. From the opening chords of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” to the closing benediction, the service was both a farewell and a celebration. The choir’s harmonies rose like prayer itself, filling the sanctuary with a mix of sorrow and gratitude. A large portrait of Pastor McKinney—smiling gently, Bible in hand—stood near the pulpit, a reminder of the man whose presence had defined the church for so long.

Friends, parishioners, and civic leaders took turns sharing memories. One longtime member recalled how Pastor McKinney would quietly visit families in crisis, bringing prayer and comfort without fanfare. Another remembered his gift for seeing potential in young people others had overlooked. “He didn’t just preach on Sundays,” she said softly. “He showed up on the hardest days of our lives.”

The eulogy, delivered by Bishop Charles Nauden of Los Angeles, CA captured the heart of a man who devoted every breath to faith and family. “Don’t just talk about hope—bring it.” The crowd nodded, many wiping away tears, as he described Mckinney as a father and pastor who believed that love was the truest form of leadership. Civic leaders spoke of Pastor McKinney’s broader legacy. Mckinney's brother George Mckinney spoke during the service about the challenges of Pastoring "It's painful sometimes being a Pastor" he said. He continued in saying "Your mission is beyond your happiness" as he reflected further on his brother Glenn.

For decades he had been a moral compass for Southeast San Diego, helping bridge divides between neighborhoods and public institutions. His outreach extended well beyond the pulpit—launching youth mentorship programs, hosting job-training workshops, organizing prayer walks against violence, and collaborating with small businesses to build opportunity. “He knew the Gospel wasn’t just meant for Sunday mornings,” one speaker said. “It belonged on every street corner where there was pain and need.”

A video presentation chronicled his journey—images of him baptizing children, leading prayer under the open sky, counseling couples, shaking hands with civic leaders, and smiling with young people from the community. Each photograph seemed to tell the same story: a man who lived his faith through service. As the service drew toward its end the choir began singing “I’ll Fly Away,” and the congregation rose to their feet. Tears and smiles mingled freely. The moment felt less like an ending and more like a benediction for the city itself. Outside, attendees formed a corridor of quiet applause as the family departed the church grounds. It was a scene of grace and gratitude—an unspoken acknowledgment that Mckinney had given his all.

"Pastor McKinney’s ministry was a blueprint for community transformation—faith joined with action, compassion joined with discipline, vision joined with service" San Diego Public Advocate Shane Harris shared in a statement. The service made it clear that though the pulpit at St. Stephens Church of God in Christ now stands empty, his voice still rings through the walls of St. Stephen’s. His message—love God, serve people, build community—remains a guiding principle for those he mentored and those he inspired many people have shared since Mckinney's farewell service.

As one elder reflected while leaving the service, “He’s gone from our sight, but not from our spirit. Pastor McKinney’s light still shines in this city—and it always will.”