Miami Herald - August 24, 2006
Bea L. Hines, bhines@MiamiHerald.com

The guest of honor, the Rev. George McRae, shook his head occasionally and smiled but seemed a little embarrassed at all the attention. It was almost as though he couldn't believe what was going on.

And what was going on that hot Aug. 13 in Liberty City was a service celebrating the naming of a street in honor of McRae's 65th birthday.

From that time on, the name of the country boy from Palatka was not only painted on a street sign designating Northwest 17th Avenue the Rev. Dr. George M. McRae Avenue -- but his name will be forever etched in the history of Miami-Dade County as a salute to a man who loves to serve the downtrodden, especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS and drug addiction.

It was fitting that a grateful community would turn out for the occasion honoring a man whose life is marked by compassion.

The street-naming occasion was spearheaded by Tangela Sears, president of the African American Grassroots Committee, who took the proposal to County Commissioner Dorin Rolle. Retired Congresswoman Carrie Meek served as the day's host.

Meek, a member of Mount Tabor, called McRae "an unusual and prophetic" man who "is constantly on message, and that message is God's promise to His people.'

"That's his mission . . . to serve in the way that God would have him do. With Rev. McRae, you can see a sermon. His feeling for the under-served people is shown in the immeasurable work he does: feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and raising funds for the needy. These are only some of the things that Rev. McRae does."

One of the factors that impresses her about McRae, Meek said, is that he doesn't seem to be caught up in the "trappings" that with being a pastor of his caliber.

"He is a common man who relates to everyone. And history will show that he changed the whole pattern of acceptance and treatment for people with HIV/AIDS," she said.

McRae, a slight man with an infectious smile, was born in Palatka, where he attended elementary and high schools. He graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary, where he also earned a Doctor of Minister degree.

McRae was called to be pastor of Mount Tabor in 1989. He described his first day on the job to laughter from the congregation when he spoke of the "action" that was going on under a huge tree on a corner of the church's property. The action involved drugs and prostitution.

The first prayer he uttered inside the church was: "Lord, I don't know what I did to deserve this, but whatever it was, I repent right now."

McRae had not known when he accepted the job that the church was on a street bordering an area that had houses of prostitution and drug dens.

One of the first steps to start a campaign of cleaning up the area was to have the tree where the "action" was going on cut down.

That was 17 years ago.

"Now, I can't tell you the times I have praised God for bringing me here," he said. "This has been an awesome journey. I probably was the first preacher to show up at 2 a.m. on 18th Avenue" -- known for drugs and prostitution.

The first time or two he was called out to the avenue, Mary, his wife of 38 years and the mother of their seven children, told him, "I know you're not going down there this time of the night." But he did and she would get used to it.

Through his efforts, his church has offered a sanctuary for the less fortunate. He said his congregation includes 334 recovering addicts, some clean for as long as 10 years, and he thanks God for bringing him to Miami and giving him the opportunity to work with folk who are downtrodden.

"I never did anything for vain glory. And I thank God for accepting me for who I am," he said.

The occasion of the street naming was a humbling experience, McRae said.

"I need to be right down-to-earth if I'm gonna love people. The further down you are, the more I'm gonna love you," he said. "I'm glad I serve a God who will get down to where the people are."

Getting down to where the people are has taken McRae to some high places. He has gone around the country urging black church leaders to play a greater role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

He is a former dean of the Florida Baptist Congress of Christian Educator, he won the 1999 Charles Whited Spirit of Excellence Award and headed the Florida General Baptist Convention, a statewide black organization. As president of the convention, McRae toured the state, campaigning for educational and outreach programs to combat HIV/AIDS.

He told The Miami Herald in 2005, "I'm trying to instill an AIDS ministry in every city in Florida."

Until 1990, McRae was like the average uninformed person about the ravages of AIDS on the black community. That was when the chaplain at Jackson Memorial Hospital invited him on a tour of the hospital's AIDS ward.

It was an eye-opener for McRae. Most of the patients were blacks and, for the most part, they were largely ignored by the churches in their communities. McRae vowed that he would be one who cared. He has kept his word.

Believing that the church must be involved in AIDS prevention, he established a community-based organization called Minorities Overcoming the Virus through Education, Responsibility and Spirituality (MOVERS) for HIV/AIDS/STD.

Vanessa Mills, one of the people McRae reached out to, said to him, "Because of you, I live today. . . . I am living with AIDS, not dying from AIDS."

Mills said she first met McRae through his jail ministry and, later, at a MOVERS meeting. She praised him for giving her the courage to live.

"He has buried many who were infected with AIDS," she said. "But I have gone on to graduate from Barry University, and now I have a master's in public health."

There was a time, Mills said, when she didn't want to even sit next to a person with AIDS. She didn't want anyone to think she was infected. But McRae helped her found the organization For and By People Living with AIDS.

"Today, we serve over 500 people, providing them with medicine and social support," Mills said. "It is through the love of Rev. McRae that we are able to live."

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