Bishop
Ronald M.
Cunningham
was elected
July 3,
2002, as the
53rd
Bishop of
the
Christian
Methodist
Episcopal
Church. He
presently
serves as
presiding
prelate of
the Eighth
Episcopal
District,
the state of
Texas. As
presiding
prelate of
the Eighth
District, he
also serves
as Chairman
of the Board
of Trustees
of Texas
College.
Bishop
Cunningham
is a son of
the
parsonage.
He is the
son of the
late Rev.
Bishop David
S.
Cunningham,
who retired
as General
Secretary of
the General
Board of
Pensions of
our Zion.
His father
was
instrumental
in giving us
our first
commercial
ministerial
retirement
program in
1968.
Bishop
Cunningham
is one of
three
siblings. He
was born in
Chicago,
Illinois,
and grew up
in the
parsonages
of the St.
James CME
Church,
Freeport,
Illinois,
Trinity CME
Church,
Decatur,
Illinois,
and Scruggs
Memorial CME
Church, St.
Louis,
Missouri. In
a real sense
he is a son
of the 3rd
Episcopal
District,
where many
stalwart
servants of
the church
nurtured
him.
He graduated
from Charles
Sumner High
School, St.
Louis,
Missouri,
the first
African
American
high school
founded west
of the
Mississippi
River in
1875. After
his high
school
graduation,
he joined
the U.S.
Marine
Corps, where
he served
for 3 years
and received
an honorary
discharge.
Bishop
Cunningham
says his
father
taught him
how
important it
is “to make
something of
yourself.”
Therefore,
after
receiving
his military
discharge he
achieved the
following
academic
pursuits:
·Certificate
of
Participation
– American
University,
Washington
Semester
Student 1959
·Doctor
of Religion
Degree –
School of
Theology,
Claremont,
California
- 1970
Bishop
Cunningham
served as
General
Secretary of
Christian
Education
for 16
years. He
was elected
on the first
ballot in
the 1986
General
Conference,
Birmingham,
Alabama.
Prior to his
election,
Bishop
Cunningham
served the
CME Church
in several
meaningful
capacities.
To name a
few:
Professor of
Religion and
Philosophy,
Lane
College,
Jackson,
Tennessee –
1970-84
Chairman
of
Social
Science
Division
Director
of
Continuing
Education
for
Black
Church
Leadership,
Lane
College
and
First
Episcopal
District;
1979-1984
Dean of the
1st
Episcopal
District
Ecumenical
Ministers
and Layman’s
Institute–1979-84
Administrative
Assistant to
the General
Secretary of
Evangelism –
1982-86
Vice
President,
Miles
College,
Birmingham,
Alabama
-1984-86
Interim
President of
Texas
College,
Tyler, Texas
–
Summer/Fall
1994
Bishop
Cunningham
accepted his
call to
preach in
1961 and was
licensed to
preach in
February
1962. He has
pastured the
following
Churches:
·
Amos CME –
Riverside,
California
·
Parker
Chapel &
Mount
Pleasant –
(Milan
Circuit)
Gibson
County,
Tennessee
·
Dyer CME –
Dyer,
Tennessee
·
Johnson
Temple –
McKenzie,
Tennessee
·
Mother
Liberty –
Jackson,
Tennessee
·
Shady Grove
– Fairfield,
Alabama
·
Phillips
Chapel,
Milan
Tennessee
·
Taylor
Chapel,
German Town,
Tennessee
·
Leslie
Temple,
Tuscumbia,
Alabama
Bishop
Cunningham
was the
first
coordinator
of the
Annual CME
Convocation
1987-90. He
brought the
Convocation
from concept
to reality.
In 2000 he
was chosen
to serve as
the 2001
Director of
the
Convocation,
which took
place at the
Opryland
Hotel,
Nashville,
TN. He even
served as
coordinator
of the 2002
Convocation
after he was
elected to
the office
of Bishop.
As General
Secretary of
Christian
Education,
he
coordinated
four
National
Youth and
Young Adult
Conferences,
with the
last one
taking place
in
Greensboro,
North
Carolina,
where more
than 5,000
persons were
in
attendance.
He has
been in the
ministry
since 1961.
In community
and civic
affairs
Bishop
Cunningham
served as a
student
organizer
during the
“sit ins” of
the late 50s
early 60s.
During the
summer of
1976 he
served as
West Coast
Regional
Director of
Operation
PUSH. He
also
organized a
PUSH chapter
in Jackson,
TN, and
served as
Political
Action
Chairman of
the
Jackson-Madison
County
Chapter of
the NAACP.
Bishop
Cunningham
was the
developer
and writer
of our
denomination’s
discipleship
program
titled
Discipleship
2000,
which guided
us toward a
more
intentional
and
dedicated
approach to
discipleship.
He served as
the editor
of our
Church
School
publication,
The
Discovery
series.
He is the
author and
compiler of
numerous
manuals and
handbooks
for
Christian
education.
For 16 years
he served on
the Boards
of Lane,
Paine, and
Miles
Colleges,
and Phillips
School of
Theology.
Presently,
he is the
new Chairman
of the Board
of Trustees
of Texas
College.
He served as
Chairman of
the National
Church
Advisory
Council of
the American
Bible
Society, and
for nine
years he
served as a
member of
the
Executive
Committee of
Bread for
the World,
an
International
Christian
Anti-hunger
organization.
Following
his election
to the
office of
Bishop he
was
appointed to
serve as the
Presiding
Bishop of
the Tenth
Episcopal
District of
the
Christian
Methodist
Episcopal
Church.
He was also
appointed to
serve as
Ecumenical
Bishop, a
position
which he
presently
holds.
Bishop
Cunningham
is a member
of the
Governing
Board of the
National
Council of
Churches
USA. He
heads the
CME
delegation
to the
General
Assembly of
the National
Council of
Churches. He
is a member
of the
Executive
Committees
of Church
World
Service, the
Pan
Methodist
Commission,
and he is
Vice
Chairman of
the
Coordinating
Council of
Churches
Uniting In
Christ (CUIC).
He is a
member of
the World
Council of
Churches
ecumenical
officers
team. He is
a member of
the
executive
committee of
the North
American
Section of
the World
Council of
Churches.
He also
represents
the CME
Church as a
member of
the Board of
Global
Ministry of
the United
Methodist
Church.
In the Fall
of 2006
Bishop
Cunningham
joined with
leaders of
eight major
African
American
denominations
on a Church
World
Service
sponsored
trip to
Israel,
Lebanon, and
Jordan to
participate
in a
Christian,
Jewish,
Muslim
dialogue,
seeking
peace and
understanding
in the
Middle East.
Bishop
Cunningham
is married
to Clarice
Flake
Cunningham
and they are
parents of
Bridgette, a
Magna Cum
Laude
Pre-Med 2005
and 2007
Graduate of
FAMU,
earning a BS
degree in
Pre Med, and
a MS degree
in Public
Health-Epidemiology.
Bishop
Cunningham’s
vision for
future of
our Zion
involves the
following:
Every CME
Church a
Safe Haven
for
children,
youth, and
families
Collaborative
Servant
Leadership –
The
development
of
spirit-filled,
Bible-centered,
well-prepared
Servant
Leaders that
subscribe to
Kingdom-Building
Church
Expansion –
Growing and
Planting
Churches
Finding
new and
creative
ways to
financially
support the
Connectional
Ministry and
Mission of
the Church
Making
real
disciples of
the Master’s
– through
the
investment
of financial
resources
for the
support of
our
Connectional
Children,
Youth, Young
Adult and
Family
Ministries.
Consistent
support of
Outreach
Ministries
for every
congregation.
Empowering
local
congregations
to
employ21st
Century
technology
in all
phases of
the ministry
of the
Church.
Developing a
Connectional
World
Christian
Mission
consciousness.
(Overseas
Missions)
