Dr. Ronald M. Powe

Presiding Elder of the Southeast District

​

Ronald Powe was born in Thomasville, Alabama and moved to Nashville in 1994.

He is the second child in a family of eleven children. He lived in Jackson, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee before coming to Nashville. He earned his B.S. (1972) and M.Ed. (1973) Degrees from Alabama State University and went on to earn a Master of Divinity (1994) degree from Memphis Theological Seminary. He completed the requirements for a doctorate in school administration from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College in December 2008.

​

In 1973, Dr. Powe was employed as a guidance counselor for the Clarke County Board of Education, Grove Hill, Alabama. He began teaching in special education at Jackson High School in 1975 and became a special education supervisor for the entire county in 1983. He became principal of Jackson Middle School in 1984 at the age of 32. He led the school to achieve accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and high ratings on standardized test scores. As principal of Jackson Middle School, he gained a reputation as a man of integrity who worked with the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Board to bring new commerce to the city of Jackson, Alabama.

​

Before coming to Metro Nashville Public Schools in August 1994, Dr. Powe served as a special education teacher with Memphis City Schools. His responsibility was to work with at-risk students who had severe emotional and discipline problems at the Comprehensive Pupil Services Educational Center. This was an alternative school for students throughout the city. While at CPSEC, he helped to establish intake, counseling, psychological, and social services for at-risk students to facilitate educational success.

​

Dr. Powe was assistant principal at McMurray Middle School during the 2002-2003 school year. During his tenure at McMurray from 1994 to 2003, Dr. Powe served as a special education teacher, huddle coach for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, sponsor of the Men of Distinction, a program to improve the academics, behavior, and character for young men and served as chairperson of the faculty advisory committee. He was McMurray’s Teacher of the Year in 2001.

​

Dr. Powe was an assistant principal at Mt. View Elementary School during the school year 2003-2004 and became principal of Thomas A. Edison Elementary School in July 2004.  He also served as principal of Napier Enhanced Option School.  He was interim principal at Bellshire Elementary School for a few months in 2017.

​

He has discovered the joy of working with small children to help make a difference in their educational development. He is committed to the success of all students and works continuously toward educational achievement. Dr. Powe enjoys jogging, writing, chess, good conversation with friends and listening to books on tape. He and his wife, Patricia, have seven grandchildren.

​

In addition to being an educational leader, Dr. Powe is also a full-time pastor. He was pastor of Williams Temple CME Church in Thomasville, Alabama from 1979 to 1991. He was pastor of Prospect CME Church in Memphis, Tennessee from 1992 to 1994. He was pastor of Saint Luke CME Church in Nashville where he served from 1994 to 2014 (20 years).

​

During the 2014 East Tennessee Region Annual Conference, Bishop Henry Williamson, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, appointed Dr. Powe, Presiding Elder of the Southeast District.

​

In addition to being Presiding Elder of the Southeast District, on August 5, 2017, Bishop Williamson appointed Dr. Ronald M. Powe the pastor of Historic Capers Memorial CME Church, “The Oldest African-American Church in the State of Tennessee – Founded in 1832.”

​

Dr. Powe was pastor of Capers for two years (2017-2019). Dr. Powe was assigned  as pastor of  Saint James CME Church, 164 Stones River Road, LaVergne, TN 37086 in July 2019 to July 2021.

​

He was assigned to Saint Luke CME Church as pastor for the third time on July 22, 2021 by Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr.