The Reverend Dr. Gabriel Akinbode is a product of the Theological School, Drew University, with a Doctoral degree in Worship, Spirituality and Preaching. An Ordained Elder in New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Reverend Gabriel Akinbode has served as Pastor of Cuyler-Warren United Methodist church, Brooklyn, New York for about four years; Immanuel and First Spanish United Methodist church, Brooklyn, New York for three years; Bloomfield United Methodist Church, Bloomfield, Connecticut for four years; and Red Hook United Methodist Church from 2014 to 2016. He is currently the Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, Brooklyn, New York.
Though, born in a Methodist family by devoted and fervent Christian parents, Rev. Akinbode consciously accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in 1971 and since then, has been mightily used of God in the areas of Revival Services, Bible Teachings, Deliverance Ministrations, and Christian Leadership. He had served at various capacities in the Ministries of Methodist Church in Nigeria, especially as President of Evangelical Group of Agodi Methodist Church; Coordinator of Evangelical Movement in Ibadan Conference (Diocese); President of combined Evangelical groups in the Western Zone of Nigeria; Bible Study Coordinator; the Assistant Secretary and eventually the General Secretary of the National Methodist Evangelical Movement. He was the Pastor of Agugu Methodist Church, Ibadan for three years and Bodija Methodist Church, Ibadan, Nigeria for three years before coming to the United States in 2002.
As Chairperson of the Bible Study Committee, he single-handedly wrote most of the Bible Study series used by the Evangelical Groups and the Methodist Evangelical Movement while in Nigeria. Here in the United States, Rev. Akinbode drew seventy five Bible study outlines for Cuyler-Warren Street United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York, many of which were also used for Immanuel and First Spanish United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York.
Dr. Akinbode is the author of God at Work: A History of the Fellowship of Evangelical Groups in the Western Part of Methodist Church, Nigeria (1992), and Marvelous in Our Eyes, published in April, 1998 by Feyisetan Press, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Rev. Dr. Akinbode was a Board Member of the Division of Bloomfield Adult Education from 2011 to 2014 and a Board Member of the Theological School Alumni Association, Drew University, New Jersey from 2013 to date. He also engages in the ministry of Counseling with families, youths, aged, the sick, the needy, and the troubled.
Gabriel and his wife, Grace, are co-workers in the ministry and they always render accordion music during their ministrations. They are blessed with three children.