A native San Diegan, Pastor Rolland E. Slade is the husband of 30 years to the love of his life, the former Adrienne C. Jewell, and the proud father of Jay (26), Ryan (23), and Alexandra (17).

Pastor Rolland accepted his call into the ministry in 1987 under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Timothy J. Winters at Bayview Baptist Church, San Diego.  It was there that he was 

baptized, licensed, and later ordained to preach the Gospel.  While at Bayview, he served as an associate minister, Prayer Evangelism ministry coordinator, and as a senior high Sunday school teacher.

In December 1991, Pastor Rolland was called to serve as Associate Pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church, San Diego, under the pastorate of Rev. Andre Henderson.  

While at Highland Park, Pastor Rolland served as Minister of Missions and Church Planter for Meadowbrook Fellowship Church located in a large apartment complex near the church, as well as development coordinator for the church’s community retail ministry called Stamps and Things.

In May 1995, Pastor Rolland and Adrienne were appointed by the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to serve as missionaries for the California Baptist Convention.  Pastor Rolland was assigned as the Church and Community Ministries Director for the San Diego Southern Baptist Association under the leadership of Rev. B. Wade McKinley.

After five years of service in this capacity, Pastor Rolland was appointed to serve as the National Missionary for Welfare to Work Evangelism Ministries for the North American Mission Board, SBC.  There he was responsible for the initial development of the ministry evangelism strategy Man-to-Man (MtM).

In November 2002, Pastor Rolland resigned from the North American Mission Board, and along with several colleagues founded the Faith Based Leadership Training Institute through San Diego State University.

The Institute offers pastors and key lay leaders a two-year fellowship to learn and explore opportunities related to community renewal and development.

Additionally, Pastor Rolland joined the staff of The Children’s Initiative as the Faith Community Coordinator in an effort to mobilize communities of faith in the area of advocacy for children.

In January 2004, Pastor Rolland was installed as the Senior Pastor of the Meridian Baptist Church.  Since that time, Meridian Baptist Church has experienced the revitalization of their membership as well as ministries.  The church has become involved in several key community partnerships including the El Cajon Collaborative, Health Humans Services Multi-System Work Group, and is working to develop ministries that will help to strengthen families within the community.

Pastor Rolland is a past fellow of the California Wellness Foundation’s Violence Prevention Program, as well as a past recipient of Children’s Hospital of San Diego and the San Diego County Office of Education’s Champion for Children award and the All Congregations Together (ACT) Visionary Leader Award.  Pastor Rolland additionally served as the first Faith Community Mobilization Coordinator for the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency.

Though Pastor Rolland is a frequent presenter on the role of the faith community in poverty work, community development, violence prevention, and community renewal at conferences throughout the nation, his greatest passion in ministry is leading to work of and for the Lord here at Meridian Baptist Church.