Pastor Lacey
The Reverend Dr. Adolphus C. Lacey is the fourteenth
pastor of the historic Mount Olivet Baptist Church in
Peekskill, NY. A native of Kansas City, KS, Dr.
Lacey entered Mount Olivet with a vision to grow the
church warmer through fellowship, deeper through
discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through
outreach, and larger through evangelism. With the
incorporation of midweek worship services at noon and
7:00pm church membership, participation, and giving are
at their highest levels in the history of the church.
By insisting on the priority and power of prayer,
prayer services, prayer partners, prayer covenants, and
perpetual prayer, Dr. Lacey is shepherding Mount Olivet
into a five year journey: Vision 2010. Vision
2010 is a faithful and bold glimpse of what God has
called Mount Olivet to be: A preeminent worship and
educational center that reaches throughout Westchester
County, touching the rich and poor; old and young; black
and white in an effort to create a beloved community.
In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Dr. Lacey
serves concurrently as adjunct professor in the
Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at Marist
College in Poughkeepsie, NY. He is also an advocate
for economic and racial equality and his counsel and
advice are widely sought in the community. He
stands at the vanguard of celebrating and preserving the
rich history of Peekskill. On January 16, 2006, Dr.
Lacey lead the effort to create the Hudson Valley
Underground Railroad Museum and Cultural Center by
raising more than 225,000 in a single setting towards
this project. The Hudson Valley Underground
Railroad Museum and Cultural Center is dedicated to
becoming a permanent repository for the acquisition,
research, collection, exhibition, presentation and
preservation of African-American history and culture in
the Peekskill- Cortlandt region of New York.
Prior to joining Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Dr. Lacey
served as the Associate Pastor of Christian Education and
Discipleship at Grace Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, NY,
under the leadership of Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson.
Dr. Lacey’s Christian nutriment coupled with his
extensive community development experience aided in
managing Grace Community Development Corporation, a
not-for-profit interfaith social service agency.
Under his leadership, the Grace Corporation
launched seven Technology and Learning Centers in
African-American churches; completed the construction of
Richard Dixon Towers; activated a tri-county HIV/AIDS
advocacy and training initiative in Black and Latino
congregations, and instituted Westchester County’s first
Freedom school.
Dr. Lacey earned a Bachelor of Arts in World History from
Ottawa University, a Master of Divinity from Union
Theological Seminary and was conferred a doctorate of
Philosophy from Northwestern University.
Supplementary to his academic accolades he received
a certificate as Community Developer from the Harvard
Divinity School's Institute for Church-based Community
and Economic Development.
Inclusive to his work as an intergenerational pastor,
professor and community leader, Dr. Lacey has been
blessed as the husband of the incomparable Cheryl Mathews
Lacey and the father of two extraordinary children;
Cameryn Alexandra and Adolphus Matthew.
