Black church ordains former KKK leader

Johnny Lee Clary, right, of Miami, OK, poses with Bishop George McKinney, who helped ordain him as a minister of the Church of God in Christ.


On Nov. 29, Oklahoman Johnny Lee Clary knelt before the Church of God in Christ’s elders, who ordained him as a minister in what is one of the nation’s largest black churches. The fact that Clary is white made the moment historic.

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view all photos The fact that he is also a former Ku Klux Klan leader made it — at least in Clary’s view — something divine.

"We’re making history,” said Clary, 50, of Miami. "We’re building a bridge of racial reconciliation, and what better way to do that than with a former KKK leader ministering in a black church that boasts over 6 million members? I hope I can have a great impact.”

Clary made a different kind of contribution to humanity as an angry teenager. He joined the Klan.

Ironically, his ordainment ceremony last month in San Diego shared some of the ritualistic acts of a long-ago Klan ceremony. Yet the two events now stand as the darkest and greatest moments of his life.

"The worst thing I ever did was swear an allegiance to the KKK, vowing to hate all Jews and blacks and people of other races,” Clary recalled. "I knelt before the Klan leaders as they sprinkled me with water. I then swore an oath to the KKK and the god of the KKK. But they can call their god anything they want — Jesus Christ or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Because their god is not the God of the Bible.

"Their god is Satan.”

Clary rose through the ranks of the White Knights of the KKK, eventually attaining the status of an imperial wizard. He later quit the hate group after a falling out with another Klan leader.

Disillusioned, Clary reached for the Bible. The Word set him free, he said.

Clary soon began preaching to anyone who would listen. Television shows picked up his story, prompting him to appear on talk shows such as "The Phil Donahue Show,” "Geraldo,” "The 700 Club,” and "Sally Jesse Raphael.” In recent years, he has traveled the nation evangelizing and has made annual trips to Australia.

Along the way he crossed paths with Bishop George McKinney, pastor of St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ in San Diego and one of the church’s 12 elders. The two met more than 15 years ago at a Christian event in Montgomery, Ala.

"Bishop McKinney and I became friends,” Clary said. "One day he told me he would ordain me as a minister because the time was needed for racial reconciliation ... Finally, after years of being sidetracked, I agreed the time was right. My mission is to bring people of all races together.

"The Bible says there is one church, one Lord, one baptism, and so there should be one people.”

McKinney said Clary’s dramatic turnaround is a testament that the Holy Spirit can even bring a heart filled with hatred, prejudice and destruction under control.

"I’m thankful to God that there is still ongoing evidence of His grace, forgiveness and power to redeem,” McKinney said.

While he was in San Diego, McKinney said, Clary’s presence and his story of evangelism and racial reconciliation were warmly received by the predominantly black congregation.

"And he’s certainly qualified to speak on either because of his own background and journey,” the bishop said.

Clary is now waiting to hear from Bishop McKinney where his travel schedule will take him. Eventually, he hopes to oversee his own Church of God in Christ congregation.

"Looking back now at my days in the Klan, I regret not saying anything when I knew someone’s property was going to be destroyed or people were going to be terrorized or beaten up,” Clary said. "Instead, I stood by and said nothing ... Not anymore.”

Contributing: Staff Writer Johnny Johnson