MOREHOUSE | BACCALAUREATE 2023

The Reverend Michael Anthony Walrond Jr. ’93
Senior Pastor, First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC), Harlem, N.Y.
Michael A. Walrond Jr. is the senior pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC) in Harlem, New York. Walrond—
affectionately known as Pastor Mike—is quickly rising as one of the most prolific and sought-after teachers and preachers in
the country. Considered a visionary, cultural architect, and game-changer by his peers, Pastor Mike has not only catalytically
changed the traditional perspective of the Black church, but he is also shifting the paradigm of Christian understanding and
culture. Within two years of his leadership at FCBC, the church experienced exponential growth, tripling its membership.
Over the past 19 years, membership at FCBC has grown from 300 to more than 10,000 members.
Pastor Mike is a board member of the National Action Network and was appointed the first national director of the Ministers
Division. He currently serves as chair of the Duke Divinity School Board of Visitors. Pastor Mike has received numerous
honors, accolades, and recognitions including induction into Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers
as a “Distinguished Preacher.” In 2014, Pastor Mike was a recipient of The Root 100 Award, a list of
the top 100 most influential African Americans under the age of 45. In July 2015 New York City
Mayor Bill de Blasio named Pastor Mike as the first chair of the NYC Clergy Advisory Council.
In 2017, he was an honoree on the annual Ebony Power 100 list as a Community Crusader.
In 2012, Pastor Mike’s foresight and passion for the Harlem community shaped the vision
for the FCBC community development corporation (CDC). The most ambitious project to
date of the FCBC CDC is The Dream Center, a transformative space designed to awaken
community dreams. Focused on the creative arts, leadership development, and economic
empowerment, The Dream Center offers over 25 free programs to the Harlem community
for those of all ages, races, and backgrounds. In December 2016, with a desire to deeply engage
the issues of the community, Pastor Mike opened the H.O.P.E. (Healing On Purpose and
Evolving) Center—the first faith-based mental health facility in Harlem. The H.O.P.E.
Center is a manifestation of Pastor Mike’s vision to effectively support the vast
mental health needs of the community. Center workers, for example, seek to
minimize the stigma that exists in many communities of color when someone
seeks mental health services.
Pastor Mike is a graduate of Morehouse College, where he earned a
bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. He continued his studies at Duke
Divinity School as a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar and earned a master of
divinity degree with a focus in theology. He served Duke University as the
university minister and director of the African American Campus Ministry
for eight years. Pastor Mike also served as the senior pastor of Zion Temple
United Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina, for eight years. He is
a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and the Morehouse
College Alumni Association.
Pastor Mike is a native of Roosevelt, New York. He is married to the Rev.
Dr. LaKeesha N. Walrond, who serves as president of New York Theological
Seminary. They are the proud parents of twoadult children, Michael III and
Jasmyn Dominique.

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