Grateful members of the Indianapolis community are remembering the life of Pastor Landrum E. Shields.
A prominent minister and longtime civic leader, Shields, who was 84, died last week.
He was pastor of Covenant Community Church, a non-denominational, multi-cultural congregation he established in 1994.
Shields had previously served as pastor of two other local churches before forming Covenant. He was, however, also well known for his community activism.
In 1967, he became the first African-American president of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners, and in 1984 founded the Indianapolis chapter of 100 Black Men, a successful youth mentoring organization.
Murvin Enders, executive director of 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, said Shields made lasting contributions to the city and always looked for ways to help make it better.
“He was great role model who always remained active with our organization,” Enders said. “I served on a couple of boards with him, and he wasn’t bashful. He was always willing to ask the tough questions because they needed to be asked.”
Mayor Greg Ballard described Shields as a “fixture in the Indianapolis community” whose leadership and “passion for creating opportunities” and will be greatly missed.
“His commitment to improving the lives of those around him was evident through his work at Covenant Community Church, as a member of the City’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and as a board member of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee,” Ballard said.
Shields also served a term as president of the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance of Indianapolis, chaplain of the Indianapolis Airport and Fire Department, and was active with the United Way of Central Indiana, Church World Service, Flanner House, the NAACP and the American Red Cross.
“He was, without a doubt, a legend who made great strides in this community,” said Rev. Fitzhugh Lyons, pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church and current president of the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance.
Weary of divisions among Christian denominations during his career as a minister, Shields formed Covenant Community Church as a friendly congregation designed to give people a sense of belonging.
“We’re not interested in becoming a mega church, but one in which we are able to have a care partner relationship with each other,” Shields explained in an interview last year. “We emphasize helping each other and people in need in our community.”
In 2005, Christian Theological Seminary awarded Shields with an honorary doctorate degree of divinity.
“I was very surprised and shocked when I was told that the trustees voted unanimously to award me the degree,” Shields said. “I was overjoyed and in tears.”
Dr. Edward Wheeler, president of Christian Theological Seminary, said that reaction was definitely “a Kodak moment” that captured Shields’ humility.
“So many times there are people who are honored who are so convinced they deserve that they don’t show any humility at all. But he was very grateful that we had chosen to honor his contributions,” Wheeler said. “The community has lost a person who was visionary and who was tireless in his efforts to make our community better.”
Shields was preceded in death by his wife Marjorie, who died in 2001, and is survived by their four children.
Services for Shields include calling on July 5 from noon until 8 p.m. at Covenant Community Church, 5640 Cooper Road, at the intersection of Cooper Road, 56th and Kessler on the Northwestside. Funeral services will be July 6 at Light of the World Church, 4646 Michigan Road, with calling at 9 a.m. and the funeral service at 11 a.m.
