Who we are
VISION + MISSION
Building Kingdom People who will strengthen families, impact their city and change the world.
Our Founders
Bruce & Sherry Gunkle
Apostle Bruce Gunkle and his wife Sherry Gunkle founded the City of Refuge in San Antonio, Texas in 1990. Bruce, a gifted revelatory Teacher, understood the power and provision of covenant as a place of commitment, involvement, and preferring one another, a place where we are literally dead to ourselves, our desires, and our way so that we can live for the kingdom of God. His understanding of covenant, and his heart for the brokenhearted and spiritually dispossessed, produced an optimistic vision of hope of a place where those in need could come for healing and restoration and be built up as a kingdom people. Thus, the vision of the City of Refuge was born.
“Building kingdom people who will strengthen families, impact their city and change the world.”
Apostle Gunkle was taken to his city of refuge on December 7, 2021, but his vision and ministry live on in everything we do at the City of Refuge as we raise and equip a mobilized army of gift-oriented people with an evangelistic heart and raise and equip spiritual fathers and mothers to apostolically go forth and disciple, evangelize, prophesy, heal, and deliver those in need for the Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom.
Our Leaders
The men and women of the City of Refuge are passionate about our church and providing members with everything they could possibly need.
ROLANDO LAROSA
LEAD PASTOR ELDER, PROPHET
Rolando LaRosa was born in Moultrie Georgia and raised in the northwest panhandle of Florida. He and his wife, Daphne, have faithfully served at the City of Refuge Christian Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas, for the past 28 years. They have eight children and five grandchildren. Rolando served in the US Army 10th Mountain Division before being reassigned to Fort Sam Houston - where he fell in love with San Antonio - and has been here ever since.
Pastor Rolando LaRosa believes strongly in the local church and is a strong proponent of equipping, training, restoring the broken hearted and releasing men and women to do the work of Jesus and building the Kingdom of God. Over the years he has traveled the U.S., Honduras, and Mexico holding prophetic meetings. He trains and equips the saints to hear the voice of the Lord in order that they may edify and encourage the Body of Christ.
Tony Massiah
PASTOR ELDER, Shepherd
Anthony “Tony” Massiah is a Preaching and Teaching Elder at the City of Refuge. In 2006 he and his wife Joann joined the City of Refuge. They are involved in Intercessory Prayer ministry, healing and deliverance. Tony was ordained by Apostle Bruce Gunkle as an Elder on November 24th, 2013. His desire is to see people healed, delivered, and functioning as God intended for them to, accomplishing the work of the Kingdom of God.
In 2007 he retired from the United States Air Force with 26 years of honorable service. The Lord has used the military to prepare him for ministering to the body of believers and Kingdom work.
