The Reverend David Anthony Gilmore

The Reverend David Anthony Gilmore is an ordained elder of The United Methodist Church. Reverend Gilmore answered the call to ministry in 1998 where he began serving as Ministries Assistant at Bethany UMC, New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2000, Reverend Gilmore was appointed to Swope Park UMC, Kansas City, MO. At the time of his appointment, the church reported a membership of 47. By the grace of God and under Reverend Gilmore’s spiritual guidance and able leadership, the church’s membership increased to 270 and included a music ministry that expanded to include five choirs and three praise groups. In his next appointment at the ‘Historic’ Centennial UMC (2008 – 2016) the church received more than 300 new members, nurtured 5 candidates into the ministry; and planted an offsite campus with the purpose of engaging the community beyond the community. From 2016 – 2020, Rev. Gilmore was appointed to the cabinet of the New York Conference as the Director of Congregational Development and Revitalization. In this role, he was responsible for planting new churches; identifying, recruiting, equipping, and empowering emerging leaders (clergy and laity); supporting and nurturing the creation of new ministries; offering one-on-one consultations with churches; and offering diagnoses and prescriptions for churches seeking to become vibrant. In his four years of serving, Rev. Gilmore facilitated the start/restart of ten (10) churches and/or ministry initiatives.

In July 2020 Rev. Gilmore returned to the Missouri Conference and was appointed to the cabinet as Superintendent of the Northwest District. In this role he served as:

• Chief missional strategist of the 127 local churches in the Northwest District.
• Member of the appointive cabinet responsible for the appointments and assignments of ordained and licensed clergy, qualified and trained laypersons, and lay ministers or lay missioners.
• Working with the district committee on ordained ministry, responsible for recruitment and examination of candidates for ordained or licensed ministry, and ongoing oversight of persons approved for licensing.
• Establish working relationships with staff/pastor-parish relations committees, clergy, district lay leaders, and other lay leadership, to develop faithful and effective systems of ministry within the district.
• In a supervisory capacity of 143 clergy offering support, care and counsel to clergy concerning matters affecting their effective ministry.
• In consultation with the bishop and cabinet, work to develop the best strategic deployment of clergy possible in the district, including realignment of pastoral charges (when needed) and the exploration of larger parishes, cooperative parishes, multiple staff configurations, new faith communities, and ecumenical shared communities.

In July 2024 Rev. Gilmore was appointed as the Lead Pastor of Park Avenue UMC, in New York City where he is ‘living the dream’. During this time, the church has welcomed 30 people as members and formed three new outwardly-focused ministries.

Rev. Gilmore is a Lewis Center Community Leadership Fellow and the recipient of the 2009 Harry Denman Evangelism Award for the Missouri Conference. Most importantly, Rev. Gilmore is married to Kimiko Capri Black Gilmore (Kansas City, MO); the father of Kenneth (Jacksonville, FL), Victor (Dallas, TX), Lauryn “Frankie” (Harlem, NY), Moneshia (Kansas City, MO); and the grandfather of three grandchildren (Charitye Rose, Denise Alexis and Orilton Anthony Harry Shumate).