A pastor who served his west Bloomington church for 35 years is being remembered as a dynamic, kind-hearted man who helped many people far beyond the churches walls.
Frank McSwain Sr., the longtime pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, died early Thursday after a lengthy illness. He was 64.
“We will not find another one like him anytime soon,” said Lue Walters, chairman of Mt. Pisgah’s Deacon Board. “He was very giving, caring and he was willing to help anybody.
“He was a special kind of person,” Walters said of the minister he knew for 21 years.
McSwain was also involved in multiple community efforts outside of the church. He founded the Family Community Resource Center in Bloomington and served as its CEO from 2004 until his death. FCRC is a nonprofit organization which offers various social programs including family advocacy, domestic violence awareness, credit counseling and criminal and civil justice.
He also served as moderator for the Orthodox Woodriver District Baptist Association, a group of 12 Baptist churches in Central Illinois.
Walters credited McSwain for guiding Mt. Pisgah’s construction of its church home at 801 W. Market St. in 2004.
“He was a tremendous pastor not just for Mount Pisgah, but for the entire community,” Walters said.
Bloomington and Normal presented McSwain a proclamation in February 2008 declaring March 8 Frank L. McSwain Sr. day in the Twin Cities.
McSwain served as the church’s pastor until his death, though he stopped preaching in July.
Walters said the church and family are planning funeral arrangements.
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