As a pastor, civil rights activist, and family man, among various titles, the Rev. Cleveland B. Sparrow Sr. lived a lifetime of kindness and passion that illuminated until his death on June 26.
A bivocational minister, he started out driving D.C. Transit, now Metro, in the 1960s, while forging paths to some of the civic democracies that stand today.
More than that, loved ones reflect on the faith leader as a spiritual force who nurtured people across denominational lines, all in pursuit of a world more just and spiritually correct.
“We miss him tremendously. Not just for the civic and social work he did, but we miss him because he was a great brother. He was a great preacher,” said the Rev. George Gilbert Sr., lead pastor of Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Northeast D.C. “And he was a tremendous help to the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, where Dr. John R. Wheeler was pastor.”
Deemed one of the church’s historic leaders, Sparrow was one of the last pastors to start under the late Rev. Dr. Chasteen T. Murray, who became pastor of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in 1929.
What stands today as a notable site earned its ranks through decades of service as a civil rights organizing hub since its founding in 1866. The church hosted transformative leaders like the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., education champion Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Sparrow himself, who returned to the sanctuary as associate minister in 1980.
“Vermont Avenue was one of the leading churches in the city back then,” Gilbert told The Washington Informer. “We won’t ever have that kind of leadership again.”
Born June 11, 1937, Sparrow grew up in Virginia until he went off to college and seminary, where the Covington High All-American continued pursuing his love for football.
After graduating with a bachelor’s in Computer Science, the Virginia Union University alumnus set his sights on the Department of the Navy, working as a Computer Specialist on many projects— one of which was to automate the payment process for the Navy.
The feat was so successful that it covered the Navy and the Department of Defense.
Fast forward some years, and gigs ranging from home improvement at Hechinger’s to ordained Baptist ministry, it wasn’t long before Sparrow found his calling in faith justice work.
“A lot of people try to be politically correct, but it is important to be spiritually correct,” the late faith leader once said at a prayer breakfast. “We can lay aside politics for a few hours; we [must] break down spiritual divisions.”
From D.C. and Beyond, ‘He Broke Down Barriers’
While a prominent figure in D.C.’s religious and political circles circa the 1980s and 1990s, the foundation was laid throughout his 20s.
The Civil Rights Movement saw leaders like Sparrow, King, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. collaborate across various causes. Meanwhile, on the home front, he was no stranger to local activism with the support of the Rev. Dr. Walter Fauntroy, the District’s first modern delegate in the House who helped pave the way for the Home Rule Act of 1973, and celebrated former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
Driven by a passion for equality, Sparrow’s humility shone through the endeavors he spent a lifetime championing. He served in roles such as chairman of the National Black Coalition for Traditional Values and an early leader of the local Moral Majority, which tackled issues from D.C. Home Rule to racial discrimination.
“He was a social activist and committee chairman for about 15 years, and he covered everything that needed to be covered,” Gilbert Sr. said, highlighting the reverend’s active engagement in D.C. Council meetings. “He made sure that we could go down to the [John A. Wilson Building] and talk to the city council members.”
On the local front, he also held ranks as a Prince Hall Mason, a participant in Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a team member for the Civil War Memorial on U Street as well as the DC 495 Project, and a regular on WYCB Radio with the late Lucille Banks Robinson Miller.
His theological roots blossomed with a master’s from the Howard University School of Divinity, plus the Washington Baptist Seminary, where he earned his PhD under the guidance of the Rev. John Fowler.
Much like his father, the young Sparrow went on to serve at multiple churches in the region, including: First Baptist Church in Southeast (interim pastor); associate minister of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church; and his very own Sparrow World Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, which moved to a mission-based institution to assist with food and clothing drives and global alignment for challenges in Africa and Europe, to name a few.
In addition to the missionary work, the self-titled church held 5 a.m. services every Sunday.
“Whether it was the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, birthday celebrations, or simply being together at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church on Sundays…those moments are treasures that I will carry forever,” Millena Gay, director and Sparrow’s great-niece, wrote in a tribute post on July 9. “Being so far away from everyone in California can be quite challenging at times. But when I did come home he always had encouraging words and told me to just keep on going!”
If he wasn’t lobbying on Capitol Hill or the John A. Wilson building, the civil rights leader could often be found near the White House and the National Press Club, said local admirers, or attending the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington D.C. & Vicinity every Monday until health challenges began.
While celebrated for his role in driving momentum to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, McCoy remembers Sparrow long before he was a pastor and seminarian.
“Rev. Sparrow guided me through an important part of my life,” McCoy, president of the Washington Baptist Seminary, told The Informer. “He crossed denominational lines and broke down barriers.”
He shared what it was like working with Sparrow for DC Transit in 1969, recalling a time he complimented the reverend on his driver’s belt, only for him to turn around and purchase one for McCoy a few weeks later.
“He was the kindest person,” McCoy continued, “and I admired that about him.”
The second-youngest of 13 children, Sparrow was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. James Royal Sparrow Sr. and Susie Wallace Sparrow; his 12 siblings James Sparrow Jr., Robert, Joseph, John, Mary, Ruby, Cora, Susie, Josephine, Altha, Bessie and Merry; and his son, Noah Washington Sparrow.
He leaves in remembrance his dear wife of 68 years, Deaconess Joyce S. Sparrow; and his children Cleveland Jr., Lanita, James, and Solomon, who said his father was always building bridges.
At the time of his passing, he was 89 years old.
“While my heart is heavy, I can smile with gratitude for the life he lived, the love he shared, and the family he helped build,” Gay wrote, honoring her uncle on Instagram. “His memory will continue to live on in each of us, in the stories, the traditions, and in the love that binds our family together.”
