I became a servant of this Gospel by the gift of God’s Grace given me through the working of His
power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this Grace was given me: to preach to
the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ! Eph. 3:7-8
Rev. Dr. Clarke L. McGriff became the Servant/Pastor of Green Hill Baptist Church in October 2013. A
retired Army Chaplain, he completed his military career as an Army Colonel after 30 years of active service
in 2011. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Reverend McGriff married Susan J. Parker of Mill Valley, California
in January 1981. They have four adult children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
Dr. McGriff presently serves as an Adjunct Educator for Columbia International University. He graduated
with honors while also being designated a Distinguished Military Graduate as well as Who’s Who Among
Students in Colleges & Universities in 1977 from N.C. A&T State University. He would later be inducted into the N.C. A&T State University ROTC Hall of Fame in April 2011. In 2022, Dr. McGriff was selected and designated as a North Carolina HBCU Living Legend, representing N.C. A&T State University based upon life-long accomplishments and service.
Ordained into the Gospel Ministry in June of 1980, Pastor McGriff earned the Master of Divinity degree
from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in December 1980. In 1988 he earned the Master of
Science (Summa Cum Laude) degree from Kansas State University. He would later earn the Master of
Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College in 2002. Reverend McGriff earned the Doctor of
Ministry degree from Columbia International University in 2019. A distinction of his world-spanning
military career is being the first African American to serve as Commandant of the U.S. Army Chaplain
Center and School in that institution’s 106-year history. Dr. McGriff also served as the first Director of the
Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center at Fort Jackson, SC.
In March 2011, Clarke and Susan established Living Stones Relationships Plus, LLC, a ministry that focuses
on building relationship skills for Families, Couples, Singles, Youth, and Children. Their spiritual sacrifice to
God by serving His people is founded on 1 Peter 2:4-5.
Active in the greater Columbia community, Reverend McGriff served five years as a Board
Operator/Announcer for Columbia radio station WFMV, 96.1 FM. He served a two-year term as Board
President of the Midlands Coalition of Churches. Pastor McGriff served six consecutive years as a proud
“BIG” in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Organization of Columbia, SC, and currently serves in his 9 th year as a
weekly Classroom Mentor at Killian Elementary School.
Reverend McGriff holds Life memberships in the following: NAACP, Military Officers Association of
America, U.S. Army War College Alumni Association, Military Chaplains Association, Chaplains Regimental
Association, ROCKS, Inc., and is a 50-year Life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., where he was
presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. In June 2024, Dr. McGriff was selected to enter, with
the Inaugural Class, of the Columbia, SC National Pan Hellenic Council’s Greek Hall of Fame.
He also holds membership in the American Legion, N.C. A&T State University and Kansas State University Alumni Associations, the Association of the U.S. Army and the Concerned Clergy of Kershaw County where he serves as Vice President. Dr. McGriff is also the Vice Moderator of the Mount Hebron Progressive Baptist Association.
Pastor McGriff is a golf enthusiast. He and Susan enjoy traveling and spending time with their wonderful
grandchildren. He also enjoys movies, swimming, and his favorite passion, music.
