Fifty Years in the Field—Never Weary!

In West Philadelphia, he was born and raised, but unlike the fictional Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson did not spend most of his days on the playground. Instead, he pressed his way through high school until one fateful day in the 11th grade, when his life was nearly derailed by the ill-advised, opinionated declaration of a guidance counselor.

At the time, Rev. Richardson was working as an orderly at West Park Hospital and was encouraged by doctors to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor. But his aspirations were crushed when the counselor told him, “You’re not college material. You have a problem with comprehension.”

Initially, he brushed it off. Yet when he flunked out of West Philadelphia Community College in his first semester, he embraced that false declaration and flirted with the danger of making it his truth.

However, even with dashed hopes and broken dreams, God’s anointing was written all over his life. Rev. Richardson turned to his church minister, Rev. James B. Hamlin, and asked to become a pastor. Rev. Hamlin—who became his mentor—suggested they ask Virginia Union University to evaluate him. The results revealed he had a reading disability.

There is a saying: “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” The university offered conditional matriculation—if he lasted one year, he could stay. Not only did he last—he thrived. He earned master’s and doctorate degrees in theology from Yale University School of Divinity in New Haven, CT, and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH, respectively.

“At times when I’d walk across the campus, I felt chills that I had come this far—I was a student at Yale University,” he mused.

Today, Rev. Richardson’s impact is felt internationally in religious, civic, and corporate organizations. His credentials read like a tapestry of leadership: senior pastor of the historic Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, NY; chairman of the Board of the National Action Network; chairman of the Conference of National Black Churches; and chairman of Virginia Union University.

“To me, God’s grace shows up in the fact that 35 years later, this kid who had conditional matriculation into university is now chairman of the Board of Virginia Union,” he said. “In this capacity, every degree—bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate—has my signature on it. That is the grace of God.”

Rev. Richardson accepted the call to ministry at age 19, pastoring two churches—Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church and St. James Baptist Church—located in a socially and economically depressed Philadelphia community. That experience, he said, was the beginning—the shaping of his ministry. “I was influenced by Dr. (Martin Luther) King’s model, where the Bible was used as a tool for liberation, justice, and rights. That shaped my expectations of what ministry and pastors ought to be.”

Dr. Richardson is celebrating 50 years in ministry at Grace. Reflecting on his walk of faith, he said, “It’s been a blessing. From the day I came to Grace Church until this celebration season, it has been a tremendous blessing to see the hand of God working in the lives of men, women, boys, and girls. The Lord allowed me to shepherd many through their hardest times and their greatest times—their highs and their lows.” He continued, “It’s a blessing to be used by God to serve people and now to look back and see so many who’ve been blessed by this ministry.”

Dr. Richardson’s life is more than a pastor in the pulpit. “Civic engagement and social justice have been critical to my 50 years,” he said. “My joy comes from being engaged in the community and the struggles of Black people in this country. I read biblical texts with social sensitivity, always looking for ways to fulfill the mandates of the Bible in the context of Black people—many of whom are impoverished and denied.”

Always keeping the issues of the Civil Rights Movement— injustice and people empowerment—in view, Rev. Richardson’s ministry and life “have been shaped by scripture juxtaposed with the pain, suffering, and injustices our people have endured.”

Some of these experiences are chronicled in his recent book, Witness to Grace, which tells the story of his journey. Soon to be released is his second book, Never Lost, which explores the Black Church and the way forward.

Looking through his lens at the challenges facing the Black Church now and well into the future, Dr. Richardson points to history. “The most urgent thing is to acquaint this generation with the history of struggle and what it took to get through it. Many of our sons and daughters have no appreciation for the struggle Black people endured. They don’t realize the doors opened to them weren’t just because they are competent,” he posited.

“They were opened because people laid in the streets, marched, had dogs bite them, and went through heartache, pain, and humiliation so they could have opportunities today. Our greatest challenge is to awaken the coming generation to the consciousness debt we all owe to those who came before us. And nobody is going to do that but HBCUs and Black churches.”

Rev. Dr. Richardson doesn’t only diagnose the problems facing the Black Church and community—he advances solutions. “We have to train the next generation of preachers and cultivate their values to give them direction. We have to expose them to opportunities. Virginia Union College, where I chair, is about to open a graduate center here in NYC,” he explained.

“It’s in the new Urban League Empowerment Center on 125th Street, offering seven PhDs, 11 master’s programs, Doctor of Ministry, and Master of Divinity. Saving our next generation requires adequate training and theological understanding that empowers our people against racism, classism, and capitalism. We shape tomorrow’s future by lifting the education of church leadership.” The W. Franklyn Richardson Graduate Center of Virginia Union University in New York will officially open in April 2026.

Calling the current crisis in the nation’s leadership a “seasonal thing,” Rev. Richardson cautioned us not to lose hope. “It is not going to last forever,” he said, adding, “We are going to have another bite at this apple, so we have to be patient for the next three years—and that does not mean doing nothing. It does not mean saying, ‘This too shall pass.’ What is called for is active passivism and engaged waiting; it’s waiting and working. We have to prepare for the future by preparing those who will be leading in the future.”

A well-known scripture in Isaiah declares, “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” It is one of Rev. Richardson’s favorite passages. Juxtaposed with the church song, “Forty long years—in this case 50—working in the field and never get weary yet,” it stands as a testament to his enduring faith.

Moreover, in his walk from doubt to destiny, Rev. Richardson is proof that when faith and justice stroll together hand in hand, everybody wins.