Paul E. Buntyn was the fourth of eight children born to William and Bernice Buntyn on August 12, 1948, in Harlem, New York. However, Pastor Buntyn and his siblings were raised by his grandmother, Emma Lee Buntyn. His foundational training in ministry was done through many faithful years of service at the Mt. Olivet B.C. in Manhattan, (Harlem) New York.
He graduated from the New York public school system as an aviation mechanic in 1966. Having played in the famed Rucker Basketball Tournament; he was recruited to attend Maryland Eastern Shore University on a basketball scholarship. However, this was interrupted by another recruiter: the draft into the United States Marine Corps. While serving a tour in Vietnam, Pastor Buntyn was engaged in combat where a single gunshot wound to the head left him paralyzed from the neck down. Through this tragedy, Pastor Buntyn experienced the miraculous healing power of God. Because of his service to his country, Pastor Buntyn was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Vietnamese Citation of Valor, a Bronze Star, and an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps.
Pastor Buntyn served as a youth minister at the Shiloh Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas for two years, upon his moving to Texas. In 1988, he was called as the pastor of the Greater Bethel Baptist Church in San Marcos. He served there for five years, where the congregation experienced growth spiritually and numerically. Pastor Buntyn established and taught powerfully on the Holy Spirit and the importance of praise and worship to God, in the worship experience. Members of the church experienced that individuals could have a real and close relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ.
Pastor Buntyn is married to Jo Ann (Queen) Buntyn and they are the proud parents of six wonderful children.
In partnership with Chad Chaddick, Pastor of First Baptist Church in San Marcos, Pastor Paul and Brother Jim formed Veterans Patrol in November 2019. Brother Jim's goal was to develop a Christian support system of veterans for veterans—men and women who could say to a struggling fellow veteran, “I’ve got your back.” Diversity is a core value of Veterans Patrol, along with helping each veteran find and maintain inner peace and showing respect for one another.
Pastor Paul is the founder of Abundant Life Christ Church and continues to reside in San Marcos, TX.
