Reverend Roland C. McCall was born in Philadelphia, PA on August 4, 1952.  He was an active member of the Greater Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia, serving as President of the Youth Choir, member of the Y.P.D., Sunday school teacher and a Steward.

In 1973, Reverend McCall received the call to preach and was licensed at the age of 21.  He attended Temple University in Philadelphia and received his Bachelor’s of Social Work Degree.  He furthered his education by enrolling at the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Master’s of Divinity Degree.

He was ordained an Itinerant Deacon in 1975 and six (6) days after graduating from Seminary in 1978 was ordained an Itinerant Elder and sent to pastor his first charge, Allen A.M.E. Church in White Plains, N.Y.  It was at Allen that he met and married the former Ms. Rhonda J. Troupe, a young lady who was a Steward, a missionary, a member of the Pastor’s Aide and a member of the Senior Choir.

Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand and his godly wisdom sent Reverend McCall to his second charge, Grant A.M.E. Church in Boston, MA in October 1982.  Reverend and Mrs. McCall have been blessed to serve as a team at Grant A.M.E. Church in Boston, MA for over twenty years.  

Under his leadership, the church has made great strides.  Extensive renovations have been done to the exterior and interior of the church; namely, the church was brick faced, new pews and pulpit furniture were purchased and existing altar furniture was refurbished.  All financial obligations and church indebtedness were alleviated, new carpeting was laid in the church, a new van was purchased, and all office equipment was updated.  A new parsonage was purchased in 1987 and dedicated in 1988 by Bishop Frank C. Cummings during annual conference.  Under Reverend McCall’s pastorate, Grant Church hosted the 137th, 146th and 155th Sessions of the New England Annual Conferences in April 1988, April 1997 and April 2006 respectively.

Sister Rhonda J. McCall is a native of Macon, Ga.  She moved to New York at an early age and graduated from Ossining High School, Ossining, New York and Pace University, New York City Campus, with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree. 

She is a retiree of the IBM Corporation after 30 years of service.  While with IBM in New York, Sister Rhonda worked in the General Accounting Department.  She accepted a two-year temporary assignment in Manhattan in the litigation department where she worked on various anti-trust suits against IBM.  After completion of this temporary assignment, she returned to Accounting, specifically Balance Sheet Accounting, handling the employee stock purchase plan for the entire United States operation.  She was later promoted to Senior Accountant in Income and Expense Accounting where she was responsible for the operating plan for the entire company. 

Sister Rhonda serves as the advisor to the Elsie T. Joseph Women’s Missionary Society and Young People’s Department of Grant Church.  She also serves as the Connectional Recording Secretary of the Connectional Ministers’ Spouses Widows and Widowers Organization Plus PKs (Preachers’ Kids), the Third Vice President of the First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society and the President of the New England Conference Ministers’ Spouses Widows and Widowers Organization.

They are the proud parents of four lovely daughters – Robina Lynette, age 25; Janine Marie, age 23; DeAnna Mercedes, age 21; and Rolanda Celeste, age 20.  Robina is a graduate from Howard University’s five-year architecture program and working for an architecture firm in Bethesda. Md.  She is married to Charles Shepherd, II and they are the proud parents of Charles Shepherd, III.  Janine received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Howard University in May 2004 and is attending second year seminary at Howard.  DeAnna is a senior at Howard University studying biology (she will graduate in May 2006) and Rolanda is a junior at Howard University studying psychology.

Reverend McCall uses as his motto to the Grant Church Family, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”