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Reverend Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
The Reverend Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., Senior Pastor of Cleveland's Fifth Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is an ordained minister in the Protestant Christian denomination known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, the denomination in which Fifth Christian is affiliated. Prior to accepting the call to Fifth, Dr. Sullivan was engaged in a year of study toward a PhD in leadership studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, and was “on loan” to the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church where he served as Pastor for the Interim of Mercer Island United Methodist Church, in Mercer Island, WA.
During his 26-year ministerial career, Dr. Sullivan has been Regional Minister and President of the Northwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Senior Pastor of United Christian Church, Detroit, MI; Associate for African American Educational Ministries for the Disciples' Indianapolis-based Division of Homeland Ministries; Pastor of Second Christian Church, Jefferson City, MO; Associate Regional Minister (part-time) of the Disciples' Mid-America Region, Jefferson City, MO; and Pastor of Hill Street Christian Church, Louisville, KY.
A pastor at heart, Dr. Sullivan is known for his preaching and lecturing on topics having to do with congregational transformation, spirituality, social-justice, anti-racism, and interracial partnerships. Some of his writings have appeared in books such as Out of Mighty Waters: Sermons of African American Disciples (Chalice Press, 1994) and Black Religion after the Million Man March (Orbis Books, 1998). Dr. Sullivan is the author of an article titled, “What Black Churches Can Teach White Churches,” published in the July/August 2006 issue of DisciplesWorld Magazine. In 2006, Dr. Sullivan delivered an address, “Overcoming Chaotic Compartmentalism: Building New Communities of Diversity with Integrity among Progressives,” during the national Sacred Activism Conference held in Seattle. This event featured speakers such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Rabbi Michael Lerner.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in interpersonal communication from Ohio University, Athens, OH; a Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY; and a Doctor of Ministry degree in economic and social justice from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH. At United Theological Seminary, Dr. Sullivan was a Samuel DeWitt Proctor/Otis Moss, Jr. Doctoral Fellow. He remains committed to finishing his second doctorate, a PhD, in leadership studies. Dr. Sullivan has completed church-sponsored anti-racism/pro-reconciliation training and is certified in both non-violent conflict resolution and group facilitation.
Within the life of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Sullivan is current president of the Black Ministers' Fellowship, Co-Convener of the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) and member of the Outreach, Transformation and Regional Assembly Teams of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio. He is also a member of the Alumni Council of Lexington Theological Seminary. Dr. Sullivan was president of the Board of Directors of the Council on Christian Unity, and member of the Board of Trustees of the National Convocation, the Disciples' African American leader development/fellowship forum. He has been a member of the College of Regional Ministers and a trustee of Northwest Christian College, Eugene, OR. Ecumenically, Dr. Sullivan is Assistant Treasurer of the Mount Pleasant Clergy Association of Cleveland and Co-Convener of the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the Ohio Council of Churches. He has been Co-Convener of the Governing Board of the Washington State Association of Churches (WAC), and Chairperson of the WAC's Executive Roundtable, a gathering of bishops and church executives. Dr. Sullivan served as a Disciples' representative to the 1998 8 th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, in Zimbabwe, as well as the Executive Council and Office of General Ministries board of the Disciples' ecumenical partner denomination, the Cleveland-based United Church of Christ. He has just completed his term the board of Saint Louis-based Programs for Religious Activities with Youth (PRAY) Publishing.
Civically, Dr. Sullivan is a subscribing life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Lions International. In 2007 Seattle's Capital Hill Lions club honored Dr. Sullivan with the Melvin Jones award for humanitarian service. He is an active life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and has been a board member of the now defunct African American Museum in Tacoma, WA. With Seattle-area colleagues, Dr. Sullivan planned and participated in numerous justice and peace marches and demonstrations, most notably during the 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting and before and during the US war on Iraq. As senior pastor of Fifth Christian Church, Dr. Sullivan participated in marches decrying the unjust treatment of the Jena 6 and the failure of the Justice Department to prosecute people for racially motivated hate crimes. He is an alumni member of the Big Brother Organization, having mentored three young men. Known for his commitment to the defeat of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Sullivan has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the Balm in Gilead, a nationally recognized AIDS ministry organization, and served as part of a care team of Seattle's Multifaith AIDS Works. In 1995, he participated in a White House Conference on HIV/AIDS. Currently he is working ecumenically to provide care and support for 11 Cleveland families whose loved ones were found slain in a house, a horrific story that has gained national and global attention.
A lifelong singer (tenor) and lover of all types of music, Dr. Sullivan recently joined the Cleveland based gospel music ministry, Progeny 5129.
Dr. Sullivan is married to the Rev. Sèkinah Hamlin of Greensboro, North Carolina. She is Minister of Anti- Racism and Reconciliation for the Southeast Regions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Dr. Sullivan is father of three future leaders, Nia, 16; Imani, 14, and Jacquelyn (Jackie), 11.
By God's Grace, We Praise, We Learn, We Act
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Message from
Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
Rev. Dr. Jack
Sullivan Jr.,
and his wife
Rev. Sèkinah
Hamlin
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