Rev. Clifton McDowell is the senior pastor of The Church of God of East New York, a thriving congregation located in the heart of Brooklyn N.Y. where he has served as senior pastor since April 1981.\In addition to serving the congregation and community. through his pastoral ministry he serves on a National level as a member of the Ministries Council of the Church of God, Anderson IN, Member of the Warner Press Board of Directors, Presiding Elder of the National Association of the Church of God, West Middlesex PA. Outside of the Church of God he serves as a Ministry Partner with The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry and is a founding Member of the World Vision Church Alliance initiative in New York. He is a former V.P. & Finance Division manager with the investment-banking firm of Salomon Smith Barney (currently Citigroup) where he was employed for 24 years.

Rev. McDowell has a BA degree in Organization Management with an emphasis in Economics and Accounting from Nyack College and a Master’s Degree in Urban Ministry from The Alliance Theological Seminary. He is currently completing a Masters of Divinity Degree at the School of Theology at Anderson University. Rev. Clifton is a noted speaker and teacher and has ministered as far as England, East Africa, Barbados, Trinidad and Grand Cayman as well throughout the United States. He has had many great mentors and examples (both men and women) over the years that helped him to develop into the person he is today. A godly man deeply committed to Jesus Christ, His wife, family and to the Church as a servant leader. He strives to be an example to inspire and challenge leaders towards integrity and excellence in whatever they do as Disciples of Christ. He and his wife Deborah are the parents of four adult children, Felicia, Nicole, Leah and Clifton Jr., five grandchildren, Darien, Destiny, Kharlie , Kai and Kayson. Together they share a passion for equipping leaders, couples, families and ministries to mature in faith and reach their full potential towards Gods purposes of making disciples of the nations. 

Pastor McDowell and First Lady Deborah have been happily married since 1980.