Pastor’s Passion
Out of a passion to see the people of God experience the power of God for their lives, Pastor Dunbar has committed himself to serve and support all humankind. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, he graduated high school at the age of 17. Embracing the challenge of higher education, Dunbar obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Education
The passion to further his education continued at Wake Forest University Divinity School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and the Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Hood and is currently in pursuit of earning a Doctor of Ministry degree at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pastoral
In 1999, a response to the voice of God resulted to the call into ministry. In 2003, ordained as a Deacon and in 2006 as an Elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME), Dunbar was admitted into Full Connection in the church at the 2011 Carolina Region Annual Conference. On July 19, 2009, he became Pastor of Young Laymen Temple CME Church in Greenville, South Carolina. Continuing to work for Kingdom building, he was appointed on August 17, 2014 and currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Greater Cleaves Memorial CME Church (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma). Along with being the Pastor, he also serves as the Presiding Elder of the Oklahoma City District – Oklahoma Region (of the Ninth Episcopal District).
Leadership/Vision
Dunbar has always lived and served in the community of the marginalized. His interest for equality and unity has positioned him into servant leadership positions that help the least, the lost, the left-out, and left behind.
Service To Others
The experiences in the corporate world (ranging from Florida, Colorado, Georgia and the Carolinas), has produced the ability to engage and translate real problems and pressures of life into sermons and service that offers hope to the people of God. Dunbar’s corporate experiences include: Internet specialist/systems analyst, benefits specialist, District Leader for a financial services company (PFS); and sales and management associate for a local cemetery. He also served in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system in several positions; his main focus as a home-school coordinator and mentor.
Formerly serving as the Director for Ministry To Men (Carolina Region Annual Conference), he currently serves as Patron Pastor for the Oklahoma City District Women’s Missionary Society. He represents the CME Church (Ninth Episcopal District) as a World Methodist Council Delegate (2016-2021). He also serves as the Ninth Episcopal District standing committee member representative for the Ministry To Men of the General Connectional Board; the Ninth Episcopal District representative for the CIT standing committee; a member of the Trustee Board for the Oklahoma Region Annual Conference; an IMPACT Committee member for the Oklahoma Conference of Churches (OCC); a Local Disaster Spiritual Care Responder for Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD); a member of the OCC Board of Directors, and the CME representative for the OCC Communion Leaders. Dunbar has been called upon to offer the opening prayer at numerous events, some including the Oklahoma City Council Meeting and several OKC Thunder basketball games. He has a deep love for all humanity and works hard to improve the lives of others he encounters.
Family
Married to his friend and lover (since 1998), Lakesha, they are the proud parents of three wonderful young men. He is an active member of the NAACP and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated where he serves many at-risk youth as a mentor, as a tutor, and as a father/big brother figure.
Pastor Dunbar greatest reward is knowing that he is born again. If there is one thing that he would want you to know about him, he would simply tell you that he is a child of God.