Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church (BKCAME) will salute the multiple contributions of retired Bishop T. Larry Kirkland and retired Supervisor Mary L. Kirkland on Sunday, April 23, at 9 a.m., in the edifice located at 3719 W. Slauson Ave., in Los Angeles.
According to Pastor Mary S. Minor, the recognition will take place during the church’s 40th anniversary observance. Kirkland, who is a member of BKCAME, served as the first pastor of the congregation.
“We invite the greater Los Angeles community, including former members and all friends of the Kirklands, to join us in praising God for the leadership and legacy of this dynamic couple,” said Minor. Their dedication and service resulted in the firm foundation this church has stood on for decades and will continue to build upon well into the future.”
Kirkland was appointed the first pastor by the late Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins in June 1977. “Under his nearly 20 years of leadership, membership reached the thousands, outreach programs helped hundreds each year, additional properties were acquired and the church gained international stature for its renowned social-political activism,” said Minor.
The main sanctuary was destroyed by fire in 1991 and Kirkland oversaw million-dollar renovation and seismic retrofitting project to restore and improve the building.
In June 1996, he was elected and consecrated as the 114th bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. After serving 20 years as the presiding prelate in several AME Episcopal Districts, Kirkland retired in July 2016.
A reception will be held following the anniversary and recognition service. Call (323) 296-5610 to learn more.
