FOUNDING PASTOR

Committed to the Cause

For more on Rev. Dr. McCoy, including podcasts of her sermons, visit www.reneemccoy.com

REV. DR. RENEE MCCOY

Founding Pastor

Rev. Dr. Renee McCoy is the founding pastor of Full Truth and has remained spiritually connected with Full Truth since its beginning in 1989. Although her permanent residence is in Seattle, WA, she resumed an active leadership role at Full Truth Fellowship Church in September 2018. She regularly travels to Detroit and is currently working with church and community leaders to help shape a new and exciting vision as Full Truth prepares for its next 30 years.
Rev. Dr. McCoy recently resigned as an interim pastor at Eastgate Congregational United Church of Christ in Bellevue, WA. In that capacity she helped guide and support the congregation in its search for a permanent pastor and in continuing realizing that congregation’s ambitious and noteworthy vision to serve God with love and hospitality. She has been an ordained minister for over three decades and has worked in parish ministry in New York City, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Tacoma, WA, and Seattle, WA. Her ministry has focused on serving those most excluded in our society, including LGBTQ persons, homeless individuals, youth, and other disenfranchised groups. She has worked in HIV/AIDS since the disease first surfaced in 1981 and has been involved in care, prevention, education, and research for more than 30 years. Rev. Dr. McCoy is also a social scientist who holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Medical Anthropology. She has taught a variety of courses at Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Washington. She is the former Director of HIV/AIDS Programs for the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion and the former Coordinator of the HIV/AIDS Behavioral Surveillance Study with the Michigan Department of Community Health where she conducted research that focused on HIV/AIDS risk behaviors.
Rev. Dr. McCoy’s life has been devoted to developing and celebrating a positive relationship with God and sharing the Good News of God’s unconditional love for all people regardless of the labels the world places on them, the conditions of their birth, or the challenges they face throughout life. She reminds us that God’s grace is better than sufficient and always available to bring peace, justice, and prosperity to everyone. Rev. Dr. McCoy has received numerous national and local awards for leadership and service to the LGBTQ community as well as for community organizing and activism. She continues to devote time and energy to building healthy individuals and communities through participation on a variety of boards and committees. Rev. Dr. McCoy believes “God has worked to make my life remarkable. It can only remain that way when I share how God continues to transform and enrich all of our lives. We were ALL created to be REMARKABLE! We just need a little help remembering that and learning what to do.” She is married to Rev. Dr. Patricia Hunter and lives in Seattle with their dog, Baxter. In her spare time, she is a potter, creating functional and decorative wheel thrown pieces, and enjoy fishing and gardening. Contact: Revmccoy@fulltruthchurch.org

SENIOR PASTOR

Committed to the Community

The Reverend Carlene LaMalle was recently appointed Senior Pastor of Full Truth by Rev. Dr. Renee McCoy and has been part of the Full Truth family since 2007. In past years she has served the congregation in several capacities, including Head Usher, Pastor’s Armor Bearer, and Praise and Worship Leader. She was credentialed in professional ministry in 2012 and served as Assistant Pastor at Full Truth from 2012 to 2017 during the tenure of the Reverend Ronchele Andres. She is a gifted preacher and spiritual teacher as well and has provided Servanthood Training and bible study for the congregation throughout the years.
Reverend LaMalle was baptized at an early age, raised in a supportive Christian family and has experienced God’s grace and mercy throughout her life. She remains proud of her journey and of the victories God has brought to her life over the years. Her testimonies are many and powerful reflections of her personal relationship with God. Rev. LaMalle tells us “I was raised in a Christian environment, and come from a long line of Pastors, Ministers and Missionaries. My Aunt Irene diligently taught me the gospel at a young age. I was taken to the river in Lake Charles, Louisiana and baptized at young age. Soon thereafter, my family experienced a rough time, my parents were separating and my mother relocated our family to Ypsilanti, MI. Being in an unfamiliar place, I often felt I had left God in Louisiana where going to church two of three times a week was a norm. After being in Michigan for a few years, one of the neighborhood girls and I became friends and through this friendship, I began attending church once more. I sang in the church choir, attended Sunday school and worship services; it began to feel like home again. As the years progressed, I experienced several rough times trying to do things my way, yet in the midst of it all, God kept me. The one thing that I struggled the most with was my sexual orientation. I didn’t think that there was a place for me in God’s kingdom, so for many years I stopped attending church. Nevertheless, I continued to believe in a Higher Power that I chose to call God. I had been seeking to grow and to be more obedient to the Gospel, yet I couldn’t see how I could be of greater service and feel comfortable to serve in my true identity. Full Truth Fellowship of Christ Church helped me realize that God loved me just as I am and that I wanted to teach and preach the Gospel. My Grandmother once told me ‘Only what you do for God will last, find yourself a church home and don’t just sit there warming the pews, get to work’ ”
She continues, “I received my call to ministry in 2008. After struggling with this call and the seriousness of it, I surrendered in June, 2010 and began preparing to professional ministry. I can sincerely say that I desire to do nothing else but preach and teach the Gospel and be of service to the body of Christ. My mission at Full Truth is to help our community grow closer to God and to one another. God has demonstrated love and faithfulness in my life and I long for all of us to celebrate that love and unconditional acceptance. As we move forward as a church, it is my hope that Full Truth will empower others to live with integrity and celebrate the FULL TRUTH of their lives. Together we can spread the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and encourage one another to believe in the goodness of God and know that God loves them and can use them to help build joyous lives here on earth in spite of their sexual orientation or identity”. Contact her at revlemalle@fulltruthchurch.org

REV. CARLENE LEMALLE

Senior Pastor