February 4, 2010

QUEENS, NY – The Rev. Allen D. MacLean, past president of the Queens Federation of Churches, died January 30 after a 7-week hospitalization. He was 74. Services were held Thursday, February 4, at Victoria Congregational Church.

Allen MacLean retired from Victoria Congregational Church in Briarwood, Queens, in 1998 after a 15-year pastorate. He served as the Associate Minister at Central Congregational Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was ordained on October 2, 1960, and at Point Lookout Community Church (1962-67) on Long Island, Bethlehem United Church of Christ (1967-75) and Parkville United Church of Christ (1975-83), both in Brooklyn.

He was a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Queens Federation of Churches, serving as President in 1999 and 2000. He continued as an active member of the Federation's Board of Directors and Executive Committee until his death.

In retirement he served the Community Church of Elmhurst and St. Mark's United Church of Christ, Ridgewood. He also held part time pastoral counseling positions at a variety of health-related facilities in New York. He was named as pastor emeritus at Victoria Congregational Church in 2004.

In the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ, Allen served as a delegate to the General Synod in 1975 and 1977 and participated on the New York Conference Annual Meeting Planning Committee. He served on the Metro Board of Directors, Nominating Committee and the Task Force on Persons with Disabilities. His community activities included serving on the Briarwood Community Association and the Police-Clergy Liaison of the 107th Precinct.

Born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, March 24, 1935, to George E MacLean and Marion (Abbott) MacLean, Allen beamed with pride in his Scottish ancestry and his upbringing in Rockport, MA, where he often vacationed. Allen traveled extensively for pleasure and spoke Spanish. During the past few years his love for travel and people brought him to LaGuardia Community College as a tutor for the English as a Second Language Department. "Pastor Allen," as he was known to so many, showed himself to be a kind, gentle, generous man with a great sense of humor and made a difference in many lives.

Allen graduated from Rockport High School in 1953 and Colby College in Waterville, Maine, in 1957 where he was a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. In 1961 he received a MDiv from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Master of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary, New York City.

He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, James A MacLean. He is survived by his sister, Susan (MacLean) Herron of Rockport, Massachusetts; nieces, Kimberly (MacLean) Ramey and her husband, Michael and grandnephew, James of Fleming Island, Florida; and Mary Margaret (MacLean) Haigh and her husband, Stephen, and grandnephew and grandnieces, Peter, Susan and Grace of Carmel, Indiana; several cousins and many, many friends.

Allen was proud to minister to multiracial and multicultural urban congregations while a strong advocate for the Ecumenical Movement.

Queens Federation of Churches