Prior Service

Prior to serving as Network Pastor, Gene was the lead pastor of Highpoint Church in Aurora, Colorado for nearly 17 years. During this season, Gene gave leadership to a network of Christian ministries and outreaches with different locations throughout the city of Aurora. Before leading Highpoint, Gene served for 6 years as the Church Development Director/Assistant to the Superintendent in the Northern California/Nevada District of the Assemblies of God. Gene has pastored churches large and small and in communities as rural as a one-stoplight farm town, tech community in California’s Silicon Valley, and as diverse as the nearly 400,000 resident metropolitan city of Aurora, Colorado.

Gene was raised in Youngstown, Ohio before coming to Christ at the age of 16 from a life of drugs and alcohol. He graduated from Bethany University and then studied communications at Western Seminary and organizational development at the University of San Francisco. Gene has also completed specialized training in other areas of leadership development.

Gene's Books and Writing

Gene is an accomplished author whose books have been on Amazon’s top selling lists for Christian Clergy on various topics related to church leadership and discipleship. Check out Gene’s blog and most recent books below. 

1. Gene’s books in print and Kindle edition.

2. Rise Up Pastoral Transition Resources

3. Gene’s “Helper” blog

Education and Professional Development

Theological Training. Gene graduated from Bethany University and then studied expository preaching at Western Seminary and organizational development at the University of San Francisco. Gene has also completed specialized training in the following areas of executive leadership development.

Parliamentary law. Gene is a tested member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Interim Pastor Certification. Gene completed the training provided by Interim Pastor Ministries. This formal training consisted of instruction on the nature of church transitions, the role of an interim pastor, and effective transition coaching for churches experiencing a pastoral transition.

Duke University Continuing Education Studies. Gene has also completed the following certificate programs with Duke University’s continuing education certificate program.

- Creativity in Teams and Organizations. This series of courses examined how to spur creativity and innovation in teams and organizations. It examined the concepts of ideation, innovation, effective teams, diversity, creativity tools, brainstorming, braindrawing, Discussion 66, anonymous idea generation techniques, visual creativity, and visioning. In addition, the course studied how to jump start group creativity, creative barriers, characteristics of creative organizations, innovative partnerships, and customer centric innovation.

- Introduction to Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is an intellectual model for understanding issues and forming reasonable and informed views on them. This series of courses examined the relationship between critical thinking skills and problem solving. The class modules cover the basics of reason and logic, assumptions, self-assessment, think skills, reading, elements of reasoning, and systemic thinking and problem solving. It also examined common barriers to critical thinking, the importance of challenging conventional wisdom, divergent thinking, and how to put critical thinking into practice.

- Innovation in Teams and Organizations. This course focuses on how leaders create and develop innovative organizations, ideas, products, processes, and services. Key ingredients, factors, barriers, and priorities are identified along with the capacity to identify incremental, semi-radial, and radical innovation. In addition, participants learn the importance of idea champions, idea incubators, new venture teams, and skunkworks in developing innovative breakthroughs that launch new growth trajectories.

- Personal Creativity. This course examines how one can become more creative by stimulating innovation through various techniques (mind mapping, DO-IT, SCAMPER, and right- and left-brain thinking). In addition, the course enables one to utilize creative tools (SCAMPER, random input, mind mapping, and DO IT), implement divergent thinking, and address the most critical issues surrounding the measurement of creativity.

Cornell University Executive Certificate Program. Gene received a certificate in conflict resolution from Cornell University in 2023. The Cornell certification focused on the following competencies.

• Diagnosing Conflict. identifying conflict, conflict styles, types levels, and diagnostic questions.

• Applying a Problem-solving Approach. Identifying contributing factors, question techniques, strategic approaches, recognizing positions, interests and criteria for success. 

• Challenging conversations. Identifying the need for and preparing for challenging conversations, defining next steps, and follow up. 

• Mediation for managers. Preparing opening statements, selecting the appropriate mediation style, recognizing the role of emotions and assessing problem solving capacity. 

The Comprehensive Credit Union Board Training by Ancin Cooley, CIA, CISA. This online training series includes seven instructional modules: 

• Understanding Credit Unions. This unit covers the history of credit unions, understanding the regulatory environment, when challenging regulators is justified, and the cooperative nature of credit unions and a quiz.

• Your Role as a Credit Union Board Member. This unit covers the importance of mission, vision and values, credit union governance models, board committees, board performance management, board succession planning, strategic planning, CEO performance management, diversity, equality and inclusion, customized governance, elements of a strategic plan, succession planning, pros and cons or term limits, and a quiz.

• What Your Board Packet is Really Telling You. This unit covers board packet fundamentals, peer data, understanding key ratios, and a quiz.

• Red Flags for Directors. This unit covers how to recognize and respond to red flags and warning signs in areas of finances, CEO performance and the management team.

• Board Chair Roles and Responsibilities. This unit covers the key characteristics of an effective board chair.

• Situational Strategies for Credit Union Boards. This unit covers several common scenarios that boards must navigate and overcome.

• Board Communication Skills. This unit covers the common personality types represented on boards and keys to effective debate and deliberation.

• Director Coaching. This unit includes instruction on building a memorable legacy, best meeting practices, the difference between process and optimization and strategy, and keeping a balance between organic and inorganic processes.

ABHE Board Governance Training. As a member of Trinity Bible College and Graduate School’s trustee board, Gene has also completed the Association for Biblical Higher Education’s trustee video training modules. This instruction is designed to train trustee boards of colleges and graduate schools in the topics of 1.) trustee roles and responsibilities, 2.) trustee recruitment and orientation, 3.) policy governance and the board policy manual, 4.) engaging the board in securing institutional resources, 5.) understanding key performance indicators (KPI), 6.) discerning and guarding missional drift, 7.) the institutions as a spiritual enterprise, and 8.) the board chair and presidential partnership. www.abhe.org

TAPS Caregivers to Military Survivors.  In 2018 Gene completed the training for the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors though www.taps.org. 

Board Involvement 

As the Chief Executive Officer for the Rocky Mountain Ministry Network, Gene chairs both the Network’s eighteen-member Presbytery Board and its Executive Presbytery. As a member of the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God, Gene and approximately 300 other elected representatives serve as the official policy-making body of the Assemblies of God (USA) when the General Council is not in session. Gene also serves on the trustee board for Trinity Bible College and Graduate School which provides quality education to those preparing for and serving in local church ministry. In addition,  Gene also serves as the Board chair for Church Extension Plan, a ministry providing preferred financial and administrative services to the churches, ministers, and districts of the Assemblies of God and their constituents.

Charles Crabtree School of Ministry

Gene is the founder and curator of the Charles T. Crabtree School of Pastoral Ministry. This mentoring cohort was created to prepare the next generation of lead pastors for excellence in ministry. District Superintendent Gene Roncone and Charles Crabtree teamed up to share wisdom that has been passed down through five generations of ministers in their family. This mentorship first existed as a notebook Crabtree wrote to help those in his family prepare for their first lead pastorate. Now it has been redesigned as a 16-week leadership cohort to prepare qualified associates for the modern demands of serving as a lead pastor.  Gene has also authored a series of books addressing each of the mentoring topics covered in the Charles Crabtree School of Ministry. More information on the cohort and how to apply can be found at www.rmdc.org/csm

Awards and Recognition

While pastoring Highpoint Church for nearly 17 years, Gene received Aurora’s Humanitarian of the Year award, as well as commendation for community problem solving by the State of Colorado’s House of Representatives, Aurora City Council, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Aurora Police Department, the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation, and Aurora Public Schools.

Hobbies and Interests

Gene enjoys podcasting and has authored several books including Beginning the Journey, Defying Gravity, Rise Up, Isolation in Ministry, Explore the Call, Prevailing Over Impossibility, and the entire book series for the Charles T. Crabtree School of Ministry. His books can be accessed on Amazon. He enjoys reading, Colorado's wilderness, and spending time with his wife, Rhonda, their adult children, and their grandchildren.

Contact Gene Roncone

Email: gene@generoncone.org

Website: www.generoncone.org