A Community Church Where Everybody is Somebody and Christ is All.
The 5th Pastor of the Macedonia Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Richard H. Dixon, Jr. was a Minister, Civil Rights Leader and Community Advocate
Dr. Richard H. Dixon, Jr., was born October 3, 1923 to the late Beulah and Rev. Richard H. Dixon, Jr. The only son of three children.
Rev. Dixon was elected Pastor Emeritus of the Macedonia Baptist Church in 2001, after his retired and served in that position until his death in 2015. He served forty-one years as Pastor of this great Church, and on December 31, 1999 retired as its Pastor. While at Macedonia, a seventy-five unit Senior Citizen Complex was built, in 1975; The Macedonia Community Center as purchased in 1979; the Collin Allen Day Care Center was established in 1982, where it is presently housed in the Macedonia Center.
Forty-one years as pastor, various new organizations were formed. The Macedonia Federal Credit Union in July, 1960 which has served the membership financially to help build and buy homes, upgrading the community; send children to school for higher education, etc. Accepting, in 1988, to take that giant step, five years ago, Macedonia broke ground, for the first phase of an eight million-dollar expansion. The first phase, which includes a sanctuary that seats fifteen hundred worshippers, a ten room education department that house a library, nursery, credit union office, music room and individual meeting facilities, was completed in 1996.
He attended Public Schools in Dallas, Texas and Fort Way ne, Indiana. He received a B.A. Degree from Bishop College, Marshall, Texas; Bachelor of Theology Degree from the American Theological Seminary, Nashville, Tenn.; Bachelor Degree of Divinity from Colgate Seminary, Rochester, New York; D.D. Degree from the University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan; Candidate for Doctorate Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ.
Rev. Dixon was pastor of three churches, First Baptist Church, Lackawanna New York for four years; Historical Trinity Baptist Church, Pontiac, Michigan for ten years; Macedonia Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, New York for forty-one years. He was called to preach and was licensed in Kansas City Missouri, in the year 1946.
He served as President of the Mount Vernon Council of Churches; Westchester Urban League; Founder and Past President of the United Black Clergy of Mount Vernon; Founder and Past President of the Westchester Christian Leadership Conference; he had the honor of being selected, with 25 outstanding people throughout the United States, to be a part of the group to accompany Dr. Martin Luther King to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The People’s Republic of China invited him, with 17 other educators and Religious Leaders, as a guest of the Chinese Government to Tour, Study and Exchange Views (the summer of 1980). He is Second Deputy Commissioner of the City of Mount Vernon; Head of the Chaplaincy program of Mount Vernon Police Department; He has been honored to give Opening Prayer at United States Congress in Washington, D. C.; He has also served as Chaplain for the New York State Senate and Assembly. He has received many awards and honors.
Reverend Dixon was married to the former Earnestene Wright. They have three children; Richard III, Sonya and Lori; two sons-in-law, Mark Stephens and George McClendon; two granddaughters, Styler and Kayla and three grandsons, James, Dabnus and George, Jr. He also has a son Carl and grandson, Cameron.
Dr. Richard H. Dixon, Jr., was born October 3, 1923 to the late Beulah and Rev. Richard H. Dixon, Jr. The only son of three children.
Rev. Dixon was elected Pastor Emeritus of the Macedonia Baptist Church in 2001, after his retired and served in that position until his death in 2015. He served forty-one years as Pastor of this great Church, and on December 31, 1999 retired as its Pastor. While at Macedonia, a seventy-five unit Senior Citizen Complex was built, in 1975; The Macedonia Community Center as purchased in 1979; the Collin Allen Day Care Center was established in 1982, where it is presently housed in the Macedonia Center.
Forty-one years as pastor, various new organizations were formed. The Macedonia Federal Credit Union in July, 1960 which has served the membership financially to help build and buy homes, upgrading the community; send children to school for higher education, etc. Accepting, in 1988, to take that giant step, five years ago, Macedonia broke ground, for the first phase of an eight million-dollar expansion. The first phase, which includes a sanctuary that seats fifteen hundred worshippers, a ten room education department that house a library, nursery, credit union office, music room and individual meeting facilities, was completed in 1996.
He attended Public Schools in Dallas, Texas and Fort Way ne, Indiana. He received a B.A. Degree from Bishop College, Marshall, Texas; Bachelor of Theology Degree from the American Theological Seminary, Nashville, Tenn.; Bachelor Degree of Divinity from Colgate Seminary, Rochester, New York; D.D. Degree from the University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan; Candidate for Doctorate Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ.
Rev. Dixon was pastor of three churches, First Baptist Church, Lackawanna New York for four years; Historical Trinity Baptist Church, Pontiac, Michigan for ten years; Macedonia Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, New York for forty-one years. He was called to preach and was licensed in Kansas City Missouri, in the year 1946.
He served as President of the Mount Vernon Council of Churches; Westchester Urban League; Founder and Past President of the United Black Clergy of Mount Vernon; Founder and Past President of the Westchester Christian Leadership Conference; he had the honor of being selected, with 25 outstanding people throughout the United States, to be a part of the group to accompany Dr. Martin Luther King to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The People’s Republic of China invited him, with 17 other educators and Religious Leaders, as a guest of the Chinese Government to Tour, Study and Exchange Views (the summer of 1980). He is Second Deputy Commissioner of the City of Mount Vernon; Head of the Chaplaincy program of Mount Vernon Police Department; He has been honored to give Opening Prayer at United States Congress in Washington, D. C.; He has also served as Chaplain for the New York State Senate and Assembly. He has received many awards and honors.
Reverend Dixon was married to the former Earnestene Wright. They have three children; Richard III, Sonya and Lori; two sons-in-law, Mark Stephens and George McClendon; two granddaughters, Styler and Kayla and three grandsons, James, Dabnus and George, Jr. He also has a son Carl and grandson, Cameron.
Rev. Dr. Richard H. Dixon, Jr.
5th Pastor (1958 - 1999)
Rev. Dr. Jimmie Hardaway, Jr.
6th Pastor (2001 - 2009)
The 6th Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Jimmie Hardaway, Jr. accepted the call to preach the gospel at the age of 16. He was licensed to preach in 1977 and ordained in 1982 under the pastorate of Rev. Robert E. Baines of Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York.
He is a graduate of Canisius College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Religious Studies and Sociology. Pastor Hardaway was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (Honoris Causa) by Christ Theological Seminary of Yonkers, New York on May 28, 2006
Before accepting the pastorate of Macedonia Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York, he pastored Memorial Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York for ten years and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in San Francisco, California for seven years. His many accomplishments during his pastorate were advancing both churches spiritually, physically and financially. They ranged from implementation of a tape ministry, organizing and sponsoring a Vietnamese congregation to completing seismic retrofitting (needed because of earthquakes). The latter was done at $150,000 as opposed to the estimated one million dollars they had been quoted. He also established various outreach ministries.
His religious and civic affiliations included: Chaplain – Buffalo Police Dept. and Mount Vernon Police Dept., UCSF/Mt. Zion Hospital and chairperson of the chaplaincy at the Youth Guidance Center in San Francisco. He also served as Vice Moderator of the San Francisco Peninsula Baptist Association, Board of Directors of the San Francisco Interfaith Council and the Violence Prevention Board of UCSF/Mt. Zion Hospital, Overseer of the San Francisco Area Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, and a member of the United Black Clergy of Westchester County, NY just to mention a few.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the congregation of Macedonia Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, New York selected him as their Pastor on December 9, 2001. Pastor Hardaway established a Youth Church, reorganized New Membership Training Class, and began a weekly noon “Lunch with Jesus” Bible Study to accommodate senior citizens and others. He also helped to start an “Overcomers” ministry for substance abusers and people struggling with strongholds. Pastor Hardaway also implemented the 7:30 AM “come as you are” service, Macedonia’s first Radio Broadcast on WVOX AM, and the purchase of Macedonia Towers and King’s Court Apartment buildings in Mt. Vernon, New York.
He is most honored by his marriage to Rev. Karen Anderson Hardaway. He is a proud father of 5, grandfather of 5, and step-father of 2.
He is a graduate of Canisius College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Religious Studies and Sociology. Pastor Hardaway was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (Honoris Causa) by Christ Theological Seminary of Yonkers, New York on May 28, 2006
Before accepting the pastorate of Macedonia Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York, he pastored Memorial Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York for ten years and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in San Francisco, California for seven years. His many accomplishments during his pastorate were advancing both churches spiritually, physically and financially. They ranged from implementation of a tape ministry, organizing and sponsoring a Vietnamese congregation to completing seismic retrofitting (needed because of earthquakes). The latter was done at $150,000 as opposed to the estimated one million dollars they had been quoted. He also established various outreach ministries.
His religious and civic affiliations included: Chaplain – Buffalo Police Dept. and Mount Vernon Police Dept., UCSF/Mt. Zion Hospital and chairperson of the chaplaincy at the Youth Guidance Center in San Francisco. He also served as Vice Moderator of the San Francisco Peninsula Baptist Association, Board of Directors of the San Francisco Interfaith Council and the Violence Prevention Board of UCSF/Mt. Zion Hospital, Overseer of the San Francisco Area Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, and a member of the United Black Clergy of Westchester County, NY just to mention a few.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the congregation of Macedonia Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, New York selected him as their Pastor on December 9, 2001. Pastor Hardaway established a Youth Church, reorganized New Membership Training Class, and began a weekly noon “Lunch with Jesus” Bible Study to accommodate senior citizens and others. He also helped to start an “Overcomers” ministry for substance abusers and people struggling with strongholds. Pastor Hardaway also implemented the 7:30 AM “come as you are” service, Macedonia’s first Radio Broadcast on WVOX AM, and the purchase of Macedonia Towers and King’s Court Apartment buildings in Mt. Vernon, New York.
He is most honored by his marriage to Rev. Karen Anderson Hardaway. He is a proud father of 5, grandfather of 5, and step-father of 2.