DALLAS — The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, a Dallas megachurch leader and champion of social change, has been named as the successor to the Rev. Jesse Jackson as the leader of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Jackson, 81, founded the initial organization, known as Operation PUSH, in 1971. The civil rights group later rebranded and merged with the National Rainbow Coalition in 1996.
On July 8, Jackson, who has battled health issues in recent years, announced his plans to step down from his role. He gave a resignation speech during the group’s annual convention Saturday.
All eyes are now on Haynes, 62, whom the group called “a longtime student of Rev. Jackson and supporter” in a statement. Haynes is best known as the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in southern Dallas, which has a congregation of around 13,000 people.
But Haynes is more than just a faith leader. His career as a leader for social justice in Dallas has spanned decades, and includes stints in academia and advocacy.
Here are five things to know about Haynes:
—He lived in California as a child
Haynes was born in Dallas, but his father moved his family to San Francisco after they experienced racism living in the Jim Crow South. His father served as a pastor at the historic Third Baptist Church there, and led a congregation that advocated for social change.
Frederick D. Haynes Sr. passed away when Haynes was 14 and about to start at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, where he graduated as valedictorian.
—He oversaw the growth of Friendship-West
In 1983, Haynes accepted the invitation to become senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, when it had less than 100 members. He has now served in the position for 40 years and helped the church grow its congregation to thousands of members.
Friendship-West Baptist moved three times under Haynes’ leadership, and has been at its present site on Wheatland Road in 2006.
When the church moved to Kiest Boulevard in Oak Cliff, Haynes helped decrease the level of crime and violence in the community. According to his church’s biography, Haynes helped transform the area by working with local law enforcement and neighborhood groups.
—He has worked with national and state leaders
Haynes has worked with the Center for Responsible Lenders to fight against predatory lending practices across the nation and in Texas.
During the Obama administration, Haynes attended events at the White House several times to discuss issues related to the economy and voting rights.
Additionally, in 2003, Haynes founded the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, a national organization of faith leaders and activists who are committed to fighting local and global injustice.
—He is an advocate for education
Haynes serves as a board member of Paul Quinn College, a historically Black university in Dallas, where he used to be an adjunct professor.
He has led his church to donate more than a million dollars to historically Black colleges. Friendship-West has donated more than $2 million in scholarship money to students in Dallas.
Haynes also helped form the THR!VE Intern and Leadership Program at Friendship-West, which is a service leadership program for Black teenagers ages 16 to 19. It provides students with mentoring and professional development opportunities.
—He has been recognized for his work
Haynes has been lauded for his ministry and for his efforts as an advocate for social justice and civil rights.
In 2016, he was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, and last year President Joe Biden gave him the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award in Community Service.
