When Bill McKinney scans faces of choir members at University Baptist Church, Huntsville, he sees generations of great-grandmothers, grandmothers and mothers whom he has known and led throughout their lives.
McKinney retired April 1 after 35 years as minister of music at University Baptist. As the only person to have served in that position, he also worked with students in the youth choir who are now fathers and grandfathers; he remembers when they were in diapers.
“One of our greatest joys has been being able to see people through whole cycles of life,” McKinney said. “I would not have been able to experience that if we had moved around.”
McKinney arrived at University Baptist in 1965 after a friend, Mattie Mann, encouraged him to apply for the new position at the growing church. Like McKinney, Mann also holds a record for longevity and still serves as a secretary at the church.
The young music minister jumped headlong into the position. Because the church was growing, McKinney led the children’s, youth and adult choirs, in addition to occasional work as youth minister and worship leader.
Some of McKinney’s fondest memories come from his work with the youth choir, where he had the privilege of watching the choir grow from 16 to 160 students within a few years.
“We were on the cutting edge of things for that time (1970s),” Mc-
Kinney said. “At that point we had a big in-reach into Butler, Lee, Johnson and Huntsville High (schools). The kids were very active in reaching out to the students, even being willing to reach out to some of the gang leaders, some who actually came to sing with us.”
“I think he is a creative genius to adapt through 35 years of music styles and still keep focused on the ministry,” Senior Pastor Dan Summerlin said of his mentor and friend. “He is extraordinary.”
Every Easter for 11 years McKinney directed the “Living Cross” presentation — a drama featuring more than 1,000 performers that gave audiences an opportunity to hear and see the gospel.
Born in Winnfield, La., in 1935 to a public school music teacher and school principal, McKinney found himself in musical company. His great uncle, B.B. McKinney, wrote many of the hymns still sung in churches today and by the time he was 9, McKinney had decided he wanted to be a music minister.
Before he had a chance to graduate from high school, he was already the song leader at the country church where his father served as pastor.
McKinney graduated from Louisiana State University in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in church music. While in school, he became minister of music at Northdale Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, La., where he met his future wife, Dorothy. The couple married the same year.
The grandfather of five said retirement does not mean an end to his music ministry. He will continue to direct The Jubilee singers, a senior adult ministry he began in the early ’90s, and the Madison Baptist Association Senior Adult Choir.
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