Canon Pinder celebrates 50 years as priest

Canon Pinder and a parishioner

The Rev. Canon Nelson Pinder might be well known around Florida and The Episcopal Church for his reputation as the “street priest,” the “hoodlum’s priest,” a community leader, a civilrights freedom fighter and other roles, but on Jan. 9, more than 450 of his closest friends filled the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, to honor him as their beloved friend.

The occasion was a celebration of Canon Pinder’s 50 years as a priest in The Episcopal Church.

Notables including the Rt. Rev. John W. Howe fondly remembered their work with him. “If you haven’t seen today’s Orlando Sentinel you will want to get a copy of it,” Bishop Howe told the crowd. “They gave Canon Pinder more space than they gave Elvis’ 75th birthday.”

Bishop Howe recalled preaching at Canon Pinder’s 35th anniversary of priesthood:

“I asked the congregation a series of questions,” Bishop Howe said. “ ‘How many of you have come to know Jesus Christ, at least in part, because this man has been your pastor?’ Second question: ‘How many of you have come to know Him a little bit better?’ And the third question, ‘How many know other people who have come to know Him because of the ministry of Nelson Pinder?’

“I asked them to stand if they could answer yes to any one of those questions and there was virtually no one left sitting down,” Bishop Howe said. “Impressive as are all the other things that are reported in the newspaper, the things that are eternally significant are the ones written on the hearts of men and women, boys and girls who have come to know Jesus in deeper and more personal ways through Canon Pinder.”

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Fox, rector of St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church, North Miami, remembered meeting Canon Pinder at Fr. Fox’s ordination at St. Simon the Cyrenian Episcopal Church, Fort Pierce, in 1969.

“He’s a man for all seasons, for all people, a man for Jesus Christ, a man sent from God, a man full of God,” Fr. Fox said. “A man for family, a man for humanity, a modernday saint, my best friend, Nelson Wardell Pinder.”

The Rev. Richard L. MarquessBarry, rector of Saint Agnes Episcopal Church, Miami, praised Canon Pinder’s ability to be a man of God as well as a man of the people.

“Every priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins,” Fr. Marquess-Barry said. “He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifices for his own sins.”

The priest stands in a rather precarious situation because he is both a part of what is sacred, and he is a part of what is profane, Fr. Marquess-Barry said.

“Nelson, my brother and friend, you have done well,” Fr. Marquess-Barry said. “You indeed have been a representative of god to the people, and you have indeed carried to God, along with our savior Christ, all of the brokenness of our humanity, and you have stood tall, when many ran for cover.”

Also at the celebration was Canon Pinder’s extended family, including his son, Nelson Pinder Jr., who, accompanied by his son, Nelson Pinder III, spoke of his father’s love for family and community.

The celebration was organized by a group including Canon Pinder’s wife, Marian, and friends Russell Warren, Sylvia Warren, Mabel Butler, Bill Smith Krisita Jackson, Dr. Carl MaultsBy – who played piano at the service, and Pete Boyd – who served as musical conductor. Cathedral music director Ben Lane played organ and choir members from the Cathedral; Christ the King, Orlando; Corpus Christi, Orlando; Holy Cross, Sanford; Resurrection, Longwod; St. John the Baptist, Orlando and St. Philip’s, Jacksonville, rocked the Cathedral with mighty voices.

Noted Hollywood, television and Broadway actor Harry Burney was one of the soloists. Canon Pinder was born in Miami (Overtown), Florida on July 27, 1932, and grew up in the Liberty City Housing Project, commonly called “The Government Condos.”

Following his family's tradition, Canon Pinder enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach. While at Bethune-Cookman College, he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Bethune-Cookman College where he became very active in student government and other campus groups.

He graduated in 1956, with a degree in philosophy. Canon Pinder then enrolled at Nashotah House Seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin to study and prepare himself for priesthood in the Episcopal Church. In 1959, he was ordained into the ministry and assigned to St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Orlando and married his college sweetheart, Marian Elizabeth Grant on August 15th.

Canon Pinder never stopped using educational opportunities for advancement. A holder of a Master's Degree in Education, he studied at Simon the Cyrenian Institute in London, England. He completed short courses in Adult Education at Purdue University and the Urban Training Center in Chicago, Illinois.

He also studied under one of the world's greatest community organizers, Dr. Saul Alinsky. While serving in the United States Army, he met some young clergy in Montgomery and Tuskegee, Alabama, who were fighting for freedom. These young people gave him great hope and invited him to become a freedom fighter. Canon Pinder's ministry has been greatly diverse, from a poor mission congregation to the rector of a parish church and a canon in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, working with and for the bishop, the Rt. Rev. John W. Howe.

He has also worked with the Awareness Center, a Downtown Orlando ministry, and a missionary to Jamaica, West Indies, Honduras, Central America, London, England, as well as Chaplain of the Day for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. At the national church level, he has been vice chairperson of the Joint Commission on the Church in the Small Community, vice chairperson of the National Commission on Social and Specialized Ministries, a member of the Joint Commission on Nominations and Selections to National Officers,  and served on interim bodies between General Conventions.

He worked his way up from a member of a local chapter of The Union of Black Episcopalians to the president of that chapter; he was the Southern Regional Director, Vice President of the National Board, chairperson of the Finance Committee and life member. In 2003, he was elected as the 15th national president.

Canon Pinder is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and has served the local chapter as chaplain, president, vice president, and as chairperson of many of its committees. He also has memberships in the Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa Fraternities.

He has served as director of Pan American Bank in Orlando, Boys and Girls of Central Florida, the American Red Cross, Orlando Mayor's Biracial Commission, and the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominations Commission. He has also served as president of the Orange County Community Action Program, Orlando Ministerial Alliance, vice chair of the Orange County Public Schools Superintendent's Search, chair for the Orange County Public Schools Superintendent African American Advisory Committee, Orlando Chamber of Commerce Affairs Committee, president of Guardian Care Nursing Home in Orlando, Florida and a member of the American Veterans Post 39.

Canon Pinder has received more than150 awards and honors.