Elder Ronald D. Gilmore, Sr. serves as the Pastor of Progressive Church of God in Christ. He was born in Oakland, California to Robert C. Gilmore III and Constance V. Gilmore, raised in Berkeley California and educated in Parochial school, and the Berkeley public school system.
He was a journeyman baker while in college and then transitioned to the financial services and insurance industry. He graduated from Avco Management University located in Nashville Tennessee. He managed offices and employees for Avco Financial Services and CitiFinancial (a division of Citigroup) working over 40 years in the industry.
For years he followed his own path and happened to meet Phyllis in June of 1979. She was a saved young lady who invited him to church, where the Lord called him out of darkness into His marvelous light and saved him! They were married in March of 1980. He was baptized in the Holy Ghost in 1982, acknowledged the call to preach in 1984 and was subsequently licensed as a minister-in-training. He studied under his pastor, Bishop A. W. Cage, an instructor at the Charles Mason Bible College in Oakland, California. He was later ordained as an Elder.
The family relocated to Northern California and joined the Tehama Assembly of God church, where Elder Gilmore served in ministry positions that included board member, preacher, Sunday school teacher, and visitation leader. After eight years, and a job transfer, the family moved to Sacramento, California, and became members of Capital Christian Center under Pastors Glen Cole and Rick Cole, and once again serving in the ministry while studying theological courses at Capital Bible College. After approximately nine years he and his wife felt called to move their membership. In approximately 2002, Elder Gilmore and his wife became members of Progressive Church of God in Christ. Since joining, they have been faithful members. Elder Gilmore has served as a member of the Board of Directors, a men’s Sunday school teacher, and led the Ambassadors of Hope and the Love in Action Marriage ministries. He served as Elder-in-Charge after the passing of Pastor Bennie L. Toliver. On December 3, 2024, Bishop Nathaniel A. Bullock, Prelate of California Northwest Ecclesiastical Jurisdictional, officially appointed Elder Ronald D. Gilmore Sr. to pastor.
Pastor and Lady Gilmore have been married for 45 years and have seven children between them.