Pastor Mark E. Blue was born in the City of Buffalo in 1963 and has always worked and served to reach out to anyone who may have needed a helping hand. He joined the United States Air Force Reserve in 1983 and retired in 2003 with the rank of Master Sergeant. He was employed at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station – 914th Tactical Airlift Group as an Aircraft Propulsion Technician. During his career at the Air Force Base he also served as a base Equal Opportunity Employment Counselor and served on the Air Force Reserve Base Human Resource Development Council. He received the Buffalo Citizenship Award for his dedicated work in the community.
Pastor Blue was called to the pastorate of Second Baptist Church of Lackawanna New York on November 27, 2001. In October 2012, Pastor Blue was elevated to serve as the President of the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Buffalo and Vicinity, where he is dedicated to the working with pastors and ministers across Western New York. He is also very active in the Lackawanna Ministerial Alliance.
Also in 2012, Pastor Blue was appointed as the President of the Board of Directors of the Lackawanna Chambers of Commerce; a historical event, as he is the first African American to hold the presidency position within the Lackawanna Chamber. Pastor Blue also sits on the Board of Directors of Hilbert College. He is a Silver Life member of the Buffalo Branch of the NAACP.
Pastor Blue serves as president and founder of the SBC Foundation, in which he was able to bring many viable programs to the First Ward of Lackawanna to improve the quality of life for those in the community such as: an after school tutoring program in partnership with the CAO of Erie County, Big Brother/Big Sister Program, the Senior Companion Program in partnership with Child & Family Services, the Erie County Senior Nutrition Program, and established the Seniors on the Move Senior Center. Pastor Blue has a heart for people, both young and old. For the youth population, he has served as an advocate for troubled youth, always trying to find a way to keep them actively involved in the community in a positive manner. Pastor Blue has also forged many other Lackawanna community outreach efforts, such as the community clean-up, to once again make the neighborhood “a village”. Through his works he has received the key to the City of Lackawanna.
Pastor Blue completed his Associates of Science Degree in Aerospace Technology in October 2001, an Associate’s Degree in June 2007 and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in June 2009 in Christian Ministry at the Rochester Center of Theological and Biblical Studies; and is currently enrolled in a Masters Program at the Andersonville Theological Seminary.
In July 1984 he married his high school sweetheart, Angela Blue, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Robert Blue, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, and Joseph Blue, a graduate of Syracuse University. Rev. and Mrs. Blue truly believe that their marriage has been blessed and ordained by God.