Obituary of Bishop Ronald McKinley Cunningham

Bishop Ronald M. Cunningham was the youngest child born to David S. Cunningham, Sr. and Eula Mae Cunningham. He had two older siblings, David S. Cunningham Jr. and Nancy Jane Freeman. 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 was 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. He would say that his father taught him how important it was “to make something of yourself.” Therefore, after receiving his military discharge, he achieved the following academic pursuits: Bachelor of Arts Degree – Lemoyne (Owen) College, Memphis, Tennessee – 1960; Certificate of Participation – American University, Washington, Semester Student 1959; and Doctorate of Religion Degree – Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California – 1970. He was also a Prince Hall Mason and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Bishop Cunningham served as the General Secretary of Christian Education for 16 years. He was elected on the first ballot in the 1986 General Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. As General Secretary of the Department of Christian Education, he revised the church school curriculum, youth and young adult week resource materials, developed the National Scouting ministries, was instrumental on organizing and coordinating several of the Annual CME Convocations, and conducted for recording-breaking Connectional Youth and Young Adult Conferences. Prior to his election as Bishop, he served the CME Church in several meaningful capacities. To name a few: *Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee – 1070-84 *Chairman of Social Science Division *Director of Continuing Education for Black Church Leadership, Lane College and First Episcopal District – 1979-84 *Dean of the 1st Episcopal 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 and 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 – Germantown, Tennessee; and Leslie Temple, Tuscumbia, Alabama. 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 Operations 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. For 16 years, he served on the Boards Trustees of Lane, Paine, Miles Colleges, and Phillips School of Theology. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Texas College. In the General Conference of 2002, Bishop Cunningham was elected as the 53rd Bishop of the CME Church. He was assigned as the Presiding Bishop of the Tenth Episcopal District and as the Ecumenical Officer of the CME Church. In the Tenth Episcopal District, he served the countries of West Africa (Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana) and the Caribbean (Jamaica and Haiti). Bishop Cunningham was assigned to the Eighth Episcopal District at the 2006 General Conference of the CME Church. That fall, he joined with the leaders of the 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. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Churches of Christ, Bread for the World, and the American Bible Society. Bishop Cunningham retired as Bishop in 2010 and continued his residence in Texas. It was during his retirement that he was called to serve the CME Church once again at the untimely death of Bishop Lockett. Bishop Cunningham was assigned to serve the Eleventh Episcopal District of the CME Church in 2011-2014. The region included nations of East Africa (Sudan, Egypt, D.R. Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and South Africa). Bishop Cunningham was one who couldn’t stay still for long. He continued to impact others by becoming a Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Texas College to freshmen classes from August 2014 – 19. Bishop Cunningham departed this life Tuesday, June 2, 2020 in Lancaster at the Windsor Garden Skilled Nursing Facility. He was preceded in death by his parents: David and Eula Mae Cunningham, his sisters: Eleanor Hammond and Nancy Freeman, and his brother: David Cunningham Jr. Bishop Cunningham is survived by his wife of 30 years, Clarice Flake-Cunningham; and his children: Ron Cunningham Jr. and Bridgette Flake-Cunningham; and his grandchildren: Blayr Cunningham, Kaila Cunningham and Sanai Cunningham; sister-in-love: Sylvia Cunningham; and a host of nieces, nephews, and extended family members.