FAME - First African Methodist Episcopal Church

Rev. Dr. John J. Hunter, Senior Minister
On November 11, 2004 Rev. Dr. John J. Hunter, known affectionately as “Pastor John” was appointed to serve as FAME’s Senior Minister. Since his arrival at FAME more than 3,000 souls have united with the Church and confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Rev. Hunter was born in Gary, IN and moved to Detroit, MI as a teenager. He joined St. Stephen A.M.E. Church where his father, the late John E. Hunter served as pastor until his election as the 101st Bishop of the A.M.E. Church. He is a graduate of Morehouse College (B.A.), The Boston University School of Law (J.D.), Princeton Theological Seminary (M. Div.) and the University of Missouri at Kansas City, School of Business (M.B.A.).

Rev. Hunter has pastored congregations in Detroit, New Jersey, Wichita, KS, Kansas City, MO, and Seattle. While developing the ministries at the churches where he has served, he believes that he has been anointed to preach "good news to the poor...recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

FAME
Rev. Dr. John J. Hunter,
Senior Minister

Rev. Hunter with wife
Denise Brown-Hunter

Rev. Hunter is happily married to Denise Hunter who serves as the President & COO of FAME’s corporate ministries. The Hunters are blessed with three daughters: Danielle, Dana and Jaden.

www.famerenaissance.org

Rev. Hunter with President Obama

Rev. Dr. Ralph C. Watkins, Executive Pastor with wife Vanessa Watkins.

Rev. Dr. Ralph C. Watkins, Executive Pastor
Dr. Watkins holds a DMin degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the PhD degree from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to serving as the executive minister, under Pastor John, he is also the assistant dean of African-American Church Studies and associate professor of Society, Religion and Africana Studies in the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. His work is focused on building bridges between urban youth / young adults and the Church while mentoring future leaders for the African-American church.

With over 20 years of pastoral, teaching, and administrative experience, Watkins is an active teaching scholar and has over 250 publications and conference presentations to his credit. His chapter Rap, Religion and New Realities: The Emergence of a Religious Discourse in Rap Music in the book Noise and Spirit: The Religious Sensibilities of Rap Music is considered an outstanding treatment of hip hop and theology. He is author of the book I Ain’t Afraid to Speak my Mind , The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation and co-author of the book Jay Z to Jesus: Reaching and Teaching Young Adults in the Black Church.

In recent years, Watkins has received a Governor’s Teaching Fellowship, Lilly Teaching Fellowship, Fulbright Hayes Fellowship for a study in Ghana, a Wabash Teaching Fellowship, and various awards in the University System of Georgia and Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Watkins is married to Dr. Vanessa Watkins and they have three children: Nastasia, Nicole and Ralph III.

Ministerial Staff

Episcopal Leadership

Bishop Theodore Larry Kirkland, Sr. - Prelate

Mrs. Mary Kirkland - Episcopal Supervisor

Rev. Norman Copeland - Presiding Elder

Bishop H. Hartford Brookins - Retired

Rev. J. L. Armstrong
Rev. Rosalyn Brookins
Rev. Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis
Rev. Cassandra Clark
Rev. Roosevelt Dorn
Rev. Dr. Velma Felder
Rev. Earl Green
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Herron
Rev. Walter Love
Rev. Rosie Medina
Rev. Sharita Mitchell
Rev. Sylvia Smith
Rev. LeSean Tarkington
Rev. Eduardo Vickers
Rev. Dr. Helen Easterling Williams

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Broadcast Phone Calls!
Pastor John J. Hunter will periodically broadcast a 60-second recording via phone
in order to alert us to
important news, initiatives
and upcoming events

Format: 123-456-7890

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