When Ron Sullivan visited his then-girlfriend, Mariama’s church in Harlem, he never would have envisioned he would one day lead the historic congregation. In 2002, after serving in the ministry for a few years, he would officially be handed the pulpit from the legendary Rev. Eugene Callender in leading the non-denominational Christian Parish for Spiritual Renewal, a role he has held for the last 23 years.
On Nov. 14, the church, which was founded by Callender and was originally a denomination of the Christian Reformed Church, will be holding its 70th anniversary celebration Gala at the Harlem School of the Arts.
“We’re not a physically large church, but for some reason, God has chosen to spare us through drug crisis, housing crisis, issues throughout the community, the pandemic, and financial issues to somehow have us continuing to not just hold on but thrive,” Sullivan said.
“Some people do like the status of being in a church with a big name, or a pastor who’s a big name and on TV, and I don’t aspire to any of those things,” Sullivan continued. “There’s something to knowing that most people know your name and your face and feeling like a family.”
Each Sunday, Sullivan, 59, can be seen delivering a message to the congregation and thousands through the livestream. He likes to incorporate real life and current affairs in his sermons while connecting to the word of God. Rev. Ray Singleton serves as associate pastor.
“Preaching should be bringing God into real life. And so I have to talk about the streets, the community, relationships, and things that we go through as real people,” Sullivan said of his style. He says he had to find his authentic preaching and communication style that is true to him, having grown up in the hip hop era of the 1970s and 1980s.
Growing up in Amityville on Long Island, he says he never saw himself as a public speaker but always had hip hop as important in his life. He recalls, like many kids, having to go to church because of his parents and being disconnected, as he did not understand what the pastors spoke about. He later graduated from Hampton University.
In 1993, Sullivan began attending Christian Parish, which was where Mariama was a member. She came from the Rowe family, which had longstanding roots in the congregation. He says he was warmly welcomed to the point where it made him nervous.
Early on, he became one of the only men who would sing in the choir. After leading his first prayer, he became more involved in the ministry, being put in charge of the youth division by Callendar.
Sullivan eventually found his calling as a minister after years of struggling to find his path after one member, Deleen Carr, referred to him as “Rev Ron” – a play on Run DMC’s Rev Run. It was in a discussion in a car ride with Mariama, now his wife, when he asked whether he should go into the ministry after years of working as a banker. After getting the nod from Mariama, concerned about remaining authentic to his preaching style, he asked, “I don’t have to stop listening to Biggie, do I?”
He attended Union Theological Seminary and studied under Dr. Wynn Wright and Dr. James Cone, and initially served as the second minister to Callender, filling in every now and then.
In 2002, Callender’s time as pastor at Christian Parish came to an end when he went to St. James, who called on him as a Presbyterian pastor to join them full-time. Sullivan was officially chosen by the Council and installed in December.
“It was overwhelming and humbling because there are no classes on how to become a pastor.” Sullivan says he had to learn on the job but eventually found his identity, voice, and teaching style. “It kind of came out of nowhere. I was not in preparation to become the pastor. And, now it’s go.”
It was the support of late Renee Callender, the former pastor’s daughter, that gave Sullivan a lot of confidence. Even after the departure of her father, Renee declared Ron was “her pastor.” He asked himself, “What would I pay attention to? “ he answered, “It’s got to connect to real life.”
Some initiatives that developed in his time include the P.L.A.Y.A.S Club (Preparing Leaders as Young Adults) and the Praise Dance Ministry, among others.
In sermons, Sullivan often speaks on the importance of being “people first” and welcoming and being inclusive of all.
“I think we stand on a fantastic foundation,” Sullivan said. “People who visit here talk about how nurturing, how loving, how warm it feels. I think it’s because we are full of family.”
While attendance has not looked like it once was before the pandemic, Sullivan says the outreach is greater than it has ever been through live stream and financial support digitally, beyond collecting the offering physically during service.
Sullivan, who has emphasized voting and civic involvement, does not shy away from calling out political leaders in Washington. “When you can’t eat, that’s an attack,” Sullivan said in this Sunday’s sermon in response to the ongoing issues of SNAP benefits being potentially cut and the government shutdown. He reaffirmed the need for churches to show up in helping out the community, as he says the Christian Parish will provide meals on Thanksgiving, as they do every year.
Sullivan has now held the role of head pastor at Christian Parish longer than any other minister. According to Sullivan, churches have lost the role they once held in communities and must now speak up and be present for their people.
“People are now being introduced to other forms of spirituality. So even on that aspect, the church is not in the place of prominence it once was,” Sullivan said. “Now more than ever, the church has got to show itself. And I think for the first time, we actually have to prove ourselves to the community, prove that we care, prove that we’re present, prove that we’re open.”
“I think what has sustained our church is being a loving church that cares,” Sullivan said. “When we talk about those churches that are considered cold or people don’t want to go to it’s because people don’t see that they care.”
In addition to ministry, he serves as a certified John Maxwell Speaker, often traveling across the country and working with companies to develop leadership strategies and is a specialist trainer for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. He serves on several boards, including Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E., Co-Founded by his aunt-in-law, Jackie Rowe-Adams.
Ron and Mariama have three children: Akil, 25, who is currently a Sports Business and Analytics Master’s program at Clemson University, Malik, 23, who works at the NBA in the Global Partner Management Department, and Alake, 18, who is a high school senior.