Meet Our Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Ray A. Owens leads a multifaceted life as husband, father, pastor-scholar, and public intellectual. Prior to his pastoral appointment at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he enjoyed a variety of vocational experiences including serving as a Youth Minister in Trenton, New Jersey, a public School Teacher in South Central Los Angeles, California, and a Fund Development Director for Teach for America in New York City. For four years, Rev. Owens also served as Assistant Pastor at the Union Baptist Church of Trenton, New Jersey.
Rev. Owens has a particular passion for issues related to youth and education. His doctoral dissertation, which is currently being revised for publication, seeks to address the contemporary crisis in black education by mining the resources of African American religion. He has delivered addresses to various educational levels, conferences, synagogues, and churches on topics related to his research and insights on black education. He is a regular columnist for the Oklahoma City Herald and has published essays in academic journals on topics related to education and black religion. Currently Rev. Owens serves as the Affiliate Assistant Professor of Ethics and Black Church Studies at Phillips Theological Seminary, and an Adjunct Professor of African American Religion at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.
Rev. Owens is deeply involved in community work in the Tulsa area. He serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries, 100 Black Men of Tulsa and the Oklahoma Council for Community Justice. He is also an active member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Rev. Owens earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He received the cum laude distinction for his doctoral dissertation and earned the Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Society Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Ray A. Owens is married to Dion LaPoint Owens of Old Bridge, New Jersey, who is a staff Pyschiatrist at the Shadow Mountain Behavioral Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Princeton University and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Dion Owens also leads the Women’s Literature Ministry at Metropolitan. The Owens’ are the proud and devoted parents of two exceptional daughters, Jordan Alexandra Reese who enjoys art and basketball and Jillian Rae who enjoys Bible stories and swimming.