Sarah McKinley

Sarah McKinley was a devout Christian whose faith shaped nearly every dimension of her life. Marked by deep humility, she often concealed the breadth of her experiences and accomplishments. Yet when the layers of her story are carefully uncovered, the profound and far-reaching impact of her life becomes unmistakable.

Sarah’s father, Paul Price, was among the pioneering founders of the Church of God in Christ denomination in Baltimore, Maryland. Despite this religious prominence, Sarah and her family were raised in poverty, and she endured abuse at the hands of her father, a painful contradiction that would echo throughout her life.

In the late 1950s, Sarah married Wilbert McKinley. Together, they would later establish a church that, over the course of two decades, grew into one of the most influential Black churches in New York City. Much of this public success, however, stood in stark contrast to Sarah’s private reality, as she suffered in an abusive marriage behind closed doors.

A recurring tension between ministry and abuse runs throughout Sarah’s life, a duality that might have led many to abandon their faith entirely. Rather than surrender to despair or resentment, Sarah chose a more courageous path: she broke the cycle.

This collection examines Sarah’s formative years in Baltimore City, her nearly five-decade journey in ministry, her professional life and encounters with Baltimore’s discriminatory housing practices, and the enduring legacy she leaves through her children.