GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The congregation of Renaissance Church of God in Christ has lost their senior pastor, and Grand Rapids has lost a community leader.
On Wednesday, the church confirmed that Bishop Dennis J McMurray has passed away. This information was echoed by Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, who was a close friend of Bishop McMurry.
Bishop McMurry was a native of West Michigan, from Muskegon Heights, and Womack remembers that he always spoke highly of Muskegon Heights, as well as his father, who Womack told FOX 17 was also active in his community.
Bishop McMurry eventually went on to achieve a Doctorate of Divinity from Christian Bible Institute and Seminary in Texas. According to the biography on the church's website, he founded Renaissance Church in 1992.
Since then, he's served on the National Board of Directors for Bethany Christian Services, the Community Corrections Board of the State of Michigan, and the Priority Health Member Advisory Council, among other organizations.
His biography says "He has consistently provided leadership as well as been a catalyst for many social change causes."
In April, 2022, Renaissance Church of God in Christ was the site of afuneral for Patrick Lyoya, the man shot and killed by a Grand Rapids police officer that same month. As the senior pastor, Bishop McMurray presided over the service.
Only a month prior to his death, Bishop McMurry was honored for his leadership in his church and beyond, when Grand Rapids Community College named him the 2022 GIANT Among Giants on October 1.
“Bishop McMurray’s intellectual depth, unwavering love of family, pastoral service, and advocacy for justice exemplifies the core ethos of servant-leadership,” said Dr. B. Afeni McNeely Cobham, Grand Rapids Community College’s chief equity and inclusion officer. “His contributions to the Grand Rapids community are immeasurable."
The church's website says that Bishop McMurray was married to his college sweetheart, Dr. Jean Lackey-McMurray, and they have four children.
