Rev. Gates is senior pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church since 2014. He has implemented various community related programs such as fresh vegetable pantries, hot meals, youth explosion, summer camps, after school programming, free breakfast & lunch programs for eligible residents, free dinner delivery to seniors due to COVID-19, and summer youth employment opportunities through the Youth Opportunity Unlimited (YOU) program. Rev. Gates is also the Executive Director of the Mt. Pleasant Ministerial Alliance which is a clergy group in Mt. Pleasant and Executive Assistant to the President of United Pastors In Mission, the largest non-denominational clergy group in the State of Ohio. Rev. Gates along with several other area pastors developed and implemented a program that was born from the tragic death of Alianna Defreeze entitled “Safe Streets Safe Schools.” This program uses volunteers where we monitor the safe arrival and departures of our children at 5 designated schools. Pastor Gates has a Masters In Divinity (MDIV) from Ashland Theological Seminary, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is an inductee into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Pastors and Laity at Morehouse College. Pastor Gates strongly believes that residents are key stakeholders of urban renewal. We must somehow get them to believe and understand their commitment is vital to the survival of the neighborhoods and engage in community development.