Jack McKinney's Biography

Dr. Jack McKinney is a pastoral counselor and also consults with clergy and congregations.  He works with people trying to develop a better understanding about themselves and their lives, with an emphasis on serving the LGBT community.

In 2010, Dr. McKinney opened McKinney Counseling & Consulting, offering pastoral counseling for individuals and couples and pastoral consulting for clergy and churches. In 2013, he became a pastoral counselor with Triangle Pastoral Consulting.

From 2000 to 2009, he served as pastor of Raleigh’s Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. Before moving to North Carolina, Dr. McKinney was the senior minister of the Bethesda First Baptist Church in Bethesda, Maryland. He previously served Baptist and United Church of Christ congregations in Texas.

At Pullen, one of Dr. McKinney’s main priorities was ministry within the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. In 2004 he was named the “Straight Ally of the Year” by the Triangle Business and Professional Guild. In 2005 he was honored with the Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign of the Carolinas for his work in trying to legalize same-sex marriage in North Carolina. In 2006 Dr. McKinney was honored by The Independent when they named him the “Best Sermon to Hear on a Sunday Morning.”

Dr. McKinney has been actively involved with the North Carolina Council of Churches, the Food Bank of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality, where he served as co-chair of the steering committee.

Dr. McKinney earned a Ph.D. from Baylor University in Christian Ethics in 1995. In 1996 he was an adjunct professor of religion at Baylor.

He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Meredith College.

Jack McKinney, M.Div., Ph.D.   312 W. Millbrook Road, Suite 109   Raleigh, NC 27609-4398    919.845.9977 Ext. 219