I currently host a half-hour radio talk show on station WWDJ-970 AM. It’s called,” Real World Christianity: Bridging the Gap Between the Secular and Non-Secular Communities.

Of course, I discuss the goodness of the Lord but also discuss those things that both affect the body of Christ and the unchurched on a daily basis.

Recently, I interviewed the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline E. McCullough, President and CEO of the Daughters of Rizpah Ministries, Inc., and senior pastor of the Beth Rapha church family in Rockland County.

Like many women in ministry, I credit Dr. McCullough along with other female clerics for making this Christian journey easier to travel. She has been a stalwart soldier of the cross and a breath of fresh air as it relates to her responsibilities to cry loud and spare not, as the Prophet Isaiah has admonished all those who would speak spiritual truth to power.

With the prosperity message inundating the pulpits across America, it’s good to know that Christ and Him crucified is the reason we dare to stand behind that sacred desk weekly, and preach to a sometimes broken sea of humanity.

Courage is a word that’s often bandied about. I heard the word used, at least 15 times, ( and rightly so) when folks talked about the passing of another great woman, Rosa Parks. I read of Parks’ courage in the face of physical danger and blatant racism.

Dr. McCullough is equally intrepid for she has had to face all kinds of criticism from both the rank-and-file and fellow clerics themselves when kicking off her ministry. And, her steadfastness has paid off.

Oh, I’m not referring to monetary anything. I’m referring to her staying power and ability to be a full-time minister by simply changing the lives of men and women with the foolishness of preaching.

Several years ago, “Ebony,” the popular magazine founded by the late John H. Johnson, cited McCullough for being one of the greatest female preachers in the country, along with 14 other Black women.

The honored bestowed upon her has apparently kept her feet planted firmly on the ground and her sights on the mission at hand. To do the will of God. She has penned a 230-page book titled,”105 Days of Prayer.” She said the tome is designed to bring the reader into greater intimacy with God.

We both lost a parent recently. My mother died last November, 2004. Her father may have died in the same year. Neither of us, during the interview, could be blasè about the loss of those loved ones, and both of us unashamedly acknowledge that we yet mourn those dear souls.

It’s about being real. In doing so, others who have suffered the same fate will hopefully realize that you don’t have to be stoic or a replica of Jackie Kennedy during the time the nation mourned the loss of her husband, President Jack Kennedy.

In other words, it’s perfectly all right to cry. My program airs every Thursday night at 9 p.m. and it’s live. We’re also streaming on the worldwide internet.

I was absolutely grateful to have Rev. McCullough say before we ended the interview that she herself had enjoyed it and hoped to meet yours truly at her upcoming conference this month at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus.

I’ve been involved in both the print and broadcast media for so long that it’s nice to periodically chat with a prominent person who is not caught up in themselves or their celebrity.

That’s not always the case. Trust mother on that one. In closing, I certainly want to say God blessed us with a woman of Rosa Parks’ stature. Rev. McCullough has been a pioneer in another sphere.

But here’s the real deal. Both women suffered greatly while carving out a place in history, whether that was the initial objective or not.

Now it is up to other women, both young and seasoned alike, to continue to work hard and to emulate the dignified lifestyles laid down by these “sisters” who took the road less traveled — it has made all the difference.