Rev. Ramon McDonald II - Senior Pastor

I am blessed to be the pastor of Mt. Oak Fellowship.  Carolyn and I have been welcomed with open arms and as we near our first anniversary at Mt. Oak (July 1, 2008) we feel so blessed that God landed us at Mt. Oak.  After 24 years of blessed ministry at Mt. Zion we look forward to what God will do in us, through us and in spite of us at Mt. Oak.

In 2008 I celebrated my 53rd birthday.  My wife (Carolyn) and I live in Harwood, just east of Bowie in Anne Arundel County.  We're only 20 minutes from the church. We have four children, Shelly, her new husband Jason, and our twin daughters Nicole and Jaclyn.

Carolyn grew up in Annapolis and graduated from Annapolis High.  She graduated from Anne Arundel Community College, Bowie State and UMAB.  She has a Master's Degree in Social Work and works for Bethany Christian Services in Crofton as a clinical social worker currently working in the field of adoption and in a private practice at the Annapolis Christian Counseling Center in Annapolis.  Her parents still live in Annapolis.

I was born in Huntington, WV, but only spent two months there before my father, Ramon Sr. (1955-64 at Mt. Zion), was appointed pastor of Mt. Zion UMC in Lothian following my grandfather's death (1953-55).  I mentioned that because Mt. Zion became a family church for us.  I attended and graduated from Annapolis High School, graduated from Anne Arundel Community College (Associates degree), University of Maryland (BS degree), Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC (Master's of Divinity) and Drew Divinity School in Madison, NJ (Doctorate in Ministry).  I feel that my education is on going as God is showing me new items all the time.

Although I went straight from High School to college to seminary, to ministry, I've held many other jobs in my life.  Not a gifted athlete, I played some high school sports but fell in love with officiating thanks to a dear friend, Harry Dobson.  I officiated High School and recreational league football, baseball, softball and basketball as well as a couple of games of field hockey.  I also officiated college basketball and baseball at Navy and AACC.  At one time I was considering making baseball my career and was offered an opportunity to train in Florida to become a professional baseball umpire.  God had other plans.  While working my way through college I worked for Annapolis Floor Covering as a helper, driver and installer.  I also worked in maintenance for McDonald's!  That's right, uncle Ronald got me a job at the Bay Bridge McDonald's one summer opening at 5 am for the beach crowd!  I have also worked in the Board of Education as a sub teacher and have coached or helped coach softball and basketball at Southern High School.  I also was a sub driver for Lane's Bus Company for nearly 20 years.

I grew up in the church with parents who loved the Lord (and a dad that was a pastor).  I became a junior youth worker in the years after High School.  During these years God was tugging at my heart to go into ministry but I resisted.  Several of my youth leaders/mentors mentioned ministry in my future but I was going to be a CPA.  During the summer between my junior and senior year in college I gave into the call of God on my life and decided to go into the ministry.  That year my father made me a SPIT at Trinity UMC in Annapolis (student pastor in training).  Soon I was asked to serve Smithville UMC in Dunkirk as a church hire assistant pastor working not only with Smithville but at times with Lower Marlboro and Mt. Harmony UMC as well.  After a year I was hired by Eastport UMC as their assistant pastor and worked there for two years.  It was at Eastport that I met and married my wife.  Our first official appointment was Delmont UMC in Severn.  After a few years there an opportunity became available in 1983 to return to Mt. Zion UMC (mentioned above).  I thought it would be neat to pastor the church my father and grandfather served twenty plus years earlier.  My grandmother was still a member there when I arrived.  It was a very rewarding time and we grew together from a small country church to a strong body of believers.  Through God's sovereign plan we ended up staying at Mt. Zion not for the 3-5 years we planned but for 24 years until this July 1, 2007 when we became the pastor of Mt. Oak.

I look forward to the years God gives us to work together for the Kingdom's purposes.  Carolyn and I are thankful for the warm welcome we have felt and the way God has blessed our first year together.  We look forward to being all that God would have us be in the years to come.  God bless you all and please know that we love you and will work side by side with you for Jesus!