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Our Leadership

Metanoia Church follows the example of the New Testament church in our leadership structure by having Elders and Deacons (c.f. Phil 1:1 & 1 Tim 3:1-13).

Elders (Pastors)

Elders–also called “overseers” or “pastors” interchangeably throughout the New Testament (c.f. Acts 20:17, 28; Eph 4:11; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet 5:1-2)–lead the church as the primary spiritual leadership. Metanoia refers to our Elders as “Pastors.”

Men qualified to serve as Elders of Metanoia must meet the following qualifications for service according to Scripture (1 Tim 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4).

  1. He is a mature Christian. He is not a new convert nor is he self-willed. He is above reproach, wise, prudent, devout, puts others above himself and loves what is good.
  2. He is a disciplined Christian. He is self-controlled and free from love of money. He is not addicted to much wine nor is he quick tempered
  3. He leads his family well. The Elder is the husband of one wife, manages his household well and, if he has children they are well-behaved and submissive to his authority. It is not necessary for a man to be married to serve as an Elder for Metanoia Church.
  4. He is respected in the church and outside the church. He demonstrates a well-ordered life and good behavior. He is hospitable, gentle, humble, not given to argue and free from hypocrisy or scandal.
  5. He humbly submits to the authority of Scripture. He is able to teach and defend the Word of God. He makes fair and impartial decisions based upon Scripture

Deacons

In the New Testament, Deacons are described as carrying out the ministries and tasks of the church, with a special focus on serving the poor and needy within the church. The “proto” or “pre” Deacon ministry description is found in Acts 6:1-7 where the Apostles were overwhelmed with their responsibilities in addition to meeting the ministerial needs of persons within the church. Deacon leadership was created to allow those leaders responsible for the spiritual oversight of the church through ministry of Word and prayer to continue in their ministry. Thus, the service focus of Deacon leadership complements the spiritual oversight of Elders.

Men and women appointed to serve as Deacons of Metanoia Church must meet the following qualifications for service according to Scripture (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13):

  1. Full of faith. Deacons live in such a way that their faith in Jesus is natural, inspiring and authentic. They can clearly present their convictions and beliefs about Jesus.
  2. Full of the Holy Spirit. Deacons do not lean on and trust in their own strength, talents and abilities to grow as disciples or to carry out the work of the ministry. They rely on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, trust in grace and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in their life. They are not filled with wine (addicted to much wine), but filled with the Spirit.
  3. Full of wisdom. Deacons must be sober, sensible, wise, balanced in judgment and not given to quick, superficial decisions based on immature thinking.
  4. Demonstrating a healthy family life. If married, Deacons exemplify themselves as faithful, devoted and affectionate toward their spouses. If they have children under their authority, these children should be well behaved. Their household is well ordered and healthy, providing an example for others. It is not necessary for a person to be married in order to serve as a Deacon for Metanoia Church.
  5. Possessing exemplary character. Deacons demonstrate integrity through honorable character, word and deed and are thus worthy of respect. They do not speak deceptively and they fulfill their commitments. They are generous with material possessions and do not pursue material gain. They have a tested track record that presents no patterns of spiritual disobedience or grounds for accusation.
  6. Respected in the church and the community. Deacons are respected by members of Metanoia Church and the community at large.

Leadership Council

Metanoia’s Leadership Council is made up of our Elders, Deacons, ministry team leaders, and appointed officers: Financial Clerk and Clerk. The Council meets three times a year for the purposes of communication, planning, and visioning.

 

Mark Dooley

Interim Pastor
Mark Dooley is serving as interim pastor during this season of transition for Metanoia Church.  He brings over 38 years of ministerial and pastoral experience to the position. In addition, since 2019 he has been serving as the state director of evangelism (SDOE) for the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware and leading the efforts of BCM/D’s church services team, helping to serve the churches with training, transitions, resourcing, and many other services.

Mark was born in Virginia, grew up in West Virginia, and migrated to Florida in High School where he developed a passion for golf. He was a collegiate golfer and still loves to sneak in a round or two when able.  He is a graduate of Erskine College in South Carolina, where he captained his collegiate golf team for 3 years, and the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity. He and his wife of 36 years, Karen, have four adult children and four grandchildren.

Appointed as Interim Pastor: October 2022

Daniel and Jennifer Bunn

Pastor and Journey Team Leader

Daniel and Jennifer Bunn became partners at Metanoia in 2013 shortly after they moved to Maryland. They are originally from Greenville, SC, and they met while attending North Greenville University. After getting married, he and Jennifer spent two years overseas in Budapest, Hungary, while he worked on his Masters degree in Economic Policy and she taught English in a Hungarian elementary school. Jennifer currently stays at home and raises her three young children Stephen, Elizabeth, and James. Her background in elementary education allows her to be creative and make learning fun at home. They live in Halethorpe with their three children, Stephen, Elizabeth, and James. Daniel commutes to DC for his job at a think tank. (Daniel previously served as Deacon of Finance from June 2014 to October 2018.

Daniel was appointed as Elder: October 2018

Areas of pastoral oversight: Finances

Jennifer was appointed as Community Group Leadership Team (CGLT) Ministry Team Leader: September 2017

Tom McNamara

Chairman of Elders
Tom and Annette McNamara live in Ellicott City and became partners in 2016. The McNamaras are celebrating over 30 years of marriage! Annette retired as an RN to raise and homeschool their six, now grown children. Tom holds a BS in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University. He received his Masters in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University. He is currently self-employed as a Technical Consultant.

Areas of pastoral oversight: Chairman of Elders, President of Trustees, Staff, Financial Committee

Appointed as Elder: March 2020

Mary McClymonds

Deacon of Finance

Mary and Ian McClymonds began attending Metanoia in the fall of 2015 shortly after getting married in June 2015, and became partners in 2016.  Mary was born and raised in Ellicott City, and graduated from UMBC with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems in 2010.  In her free time, Mary enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family.

Appointed as Deacon of Finance: December 2018

Kyle Schoelz

Financial Clerk

Kyle and Sandy Schoelz began attending Metanoia in the fall of 2013 shortly after getting married, and became partners in the spring of 2014. They have three daughters, Charity, Truleigh, and Prudence, and a son, Redmond. They lived in the United Kingdom for 15 months from 2017 to 2018 and now live in Marriottsville. Kyle holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Norwich University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and he originally hails from the Seattle, WA area. He loves spending time with his family and tinkering with Arduino projects whenever a spare moment can be found.

Appointed as Financial Clerk: June 2019