Community Service Award Recipient

Reverend Leonard D. Comithier, Jr. was born in Catskill, New York to the late Deacon Leonard Comithier, Sr. and the late Lucinda Brewer Comithier of Coeymans, New York. Coeymans is the town of his childhood where he was educated in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School System. 

Rev. Comithier entered undergraduate studies at the West Virginia State College; graduate studies at the College of Saint Rose, Albany, and New York Theological Seminary and post graduate studies at the State University of New York, Albany. Additionally, he holds New York State Certifications in Special Education, Elementary Education and School Administration/Supervision.

Rev. Comithier is fully qualified as a preacher, teacher, counselor, pastor and friend. He came to the Macedonia Baptist Church following a very effective and successful pastorate at the Second Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Pittsfield, MA. 

Pastor Comithier developed a Rites of Passage Program which is a faith-based, cultural/social enrichment program designed for youth.

Although he has retired as Coordinator of Ministerial Services for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, he is presently the Third Vice President of the Empire Baptist Congress of Christian Education. He has also served as President of the Baptist Ministers Alliance (Capital Area), President of the Baptist Ministers Conference, and Past Moderator of the Hudson River Frontier Missionary Baptist Association. In addition, he is a volunteer staff trainer for the Albany's Camp Opportunities.

Having led the Macedonia Baptist Church of Albany for over 25 years, Pastor Comithier has well-demonstrated his pastoral leadership through discipleship, mentorship, personal community involvement and consistent encouragement to his members as well as to other pastors and churches. His influence has opened great opportunities to others to follow his model Vacation Bible School structure, including the usage of the Siena College campus facility.

Pastor Comithier implemented a community wide mentoring program for students who need academic support and the Scholarship Fund programs that provide monetary awards for the continuation of academic excellence. Macedonia's commitment to academic excellence was the impetus for the establishment of the Macedonia Scholarship Fund. The Fund provides financial assistance to Macedonia's aspiring college bound students as well as students throughout the faith community. Since the scholarship fund's inception nearly fourteen years ago, more than sixty thousand dollars has been awarded to more than seventy college students.