Rev. Ronel W. Gunn, Seventh Pastor
OUR SEVENTH PASTOR: REVEREND RONEL WAINE GUNN
(2011 - 2017)
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On July 9, 2010, Rev. Ronel W. Gunn became Interim Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church providing pastoral leadership and guidance while the church prepared to call a Settled Pastor. Rev. Gunn was ordained to the Christian ministry at a service of ordination at the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts on January 23, 2011.
After having served nine months as interim pastor, he was called to the pastorate of Metropolitan, on April 12, 2011. He became the seventh pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church. A service of installation was held on September 18, 2011, at Metropolitan.
Since coming to Metropolitan, Pastor Gunn has provided leadership for the implementation of sound fiscal policies and procedures that are leading the church to financial stability. The membership has begun to retake their places in the support and commitment to the ministries of the church. Pastor Gunn has established a firm yet caring relationship with the youth and is respectful of the counsel of the seniors.
In addition to a Master of Arts in Urban Ministry from the Center for Urban Ministry Education (CUME) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Rev. Gunn received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he specialized in law enforcement.
Rev. Gunn was born in Ringgold, Virginia. He was the only child of Oliver Lewis Gunn and Dorothy Booker. At an early age, he was taken to live with his parental grandparents. He grew up in loving Christian homes and accepted the Lord at the age of nine. Rev. Gunn began his early education in Virginia, but when his grandmother died, he moved to North Carolina to live with his father and step-mother completing his education there. After graduation from high school, he went to Washington, DC where he worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
After a year in Washington, he volunteered for the United States Air Force and was shipped out to Vietnam. He was assigned to a military police squadron, doing law enforcement duty. It was in early April, that he experienced the first rocket attack. He was thrown off his top bunk onto the floor underneath the other bunk. It was there that he recommitted his life to God. He also promised God that if he allowed him to return home in one piece safely, he would serve him until the day that he died. Upon leaving the military he furthered his education by attending Northeastern University. While studying at Northeastern, he joined Twelfth Baptist Church in 1973.
During his time at Twelfth Baptist Church, Rev. Gunn served on various boards and in many positions, acquiring more than thirty-five years of experience in Christian leadership and ministry. He served as a deacon for approximately twenty-one years, fifteen years as chairman of the board of deacons. Rev. Gunn also served on the ministerial staff at Twelfth for seven years where he taught Sunday School, supported the Sick and Visitation Ministry, and chaired the Second African Meeting House Ministry.
Rev. Gunn has served the communities of Boston for many years. He has been a mainstay in the local courts serving as a probation officer counseling adults regarding employment and/or education and monitoring substance abusers concerning rehabilitation. Rev. Gunn also works with court professionals, apprising lawyers, judges, and clerks, regarding probationers.
On September 26, 2015, Pastor Gunn and Sister Ernestine Cubbage were joined in marriage in Macon, Georgia. First Lady Ernestine resides in Macon, Georgia where she is a member of the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. She sings in the Beulah church choirs, serves are finance clerk, and is a member of the Deaconess/Minister Wives Ministry. She is currently employed at Mercer University School of Medicine​
His favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your path straight.