ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL PASTOR

THE REV. DR. WILLIAM H. BELL, JR.

 

 The Rev. Dr. William H. Bell, Jr., an outstanding educator, motivational-speaker, founder and mentor, is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was first licensed to preach in 1996 by Presiding Elder Robert L. Peoples under the outstanding leadership and spiritual direction of Rev. Dr. James E. Markham, pastor of Emmanuel Temple. Two years later, on August 23, 1998, in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Bell was ordained Deacon and Elder via “missionary rules” by Bishop E. Lynn Brown. He has served the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in various capacities having pastored several churches in such states as Georgia, New Mexico and Michigan. He has twice served the CME Zion as Presiding Elder, first in Arizona-New Mexico Region as the Presiding Elder of the New Mexico District and last, in Michigan, as the Presiding Elder of the Detroit District of the Michigan-Indiana Region. He is now currently serving as the 29th pastor of St. Mark CME in Battle Creek, Michigan.

 

Professionally, Dr. Bell has served our country as an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF) where he attained the rank of Captain before he was Honorably Discharged in 1992. While in the military he served as Total Quality Management Instructor and USAF Wartime Contingency Planner as well as a Transportation/Logistics Officer.

 

Dr. Bell is a top-notch educator. He has served as an High School Assistant Principal as well as being a very accomplished Science teacher having taught science for some 21 years teaching such subjects as Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Earth Science, Life Science, and Integrated Science. In addition to teaching science, Dr. Bell has also taught Math (Algebra), Social Studies, specifically Civics and African-American History (the latter, an area that he is extremely well versed in). He has also taught Leadership. Dr. Bell has also served as an Athletics Coach having coached High School  basketball, football, and track and field. In 2003, He Assistant Coached Hobbs High School to its 15th New Mexico State Championship. 

 

Dr. Bell started his academic matriculation in Louisiana where he received his high school diploma from Peabody Magnet High School, Alexandria, Louisiana. 1982. Knowing that he wanted to go further Dr. Bell went on to Grambling State University where he received his Bachelors of Science (BS) Degree in Biology May 17, 1987. After serving in the USAF, Dr. Bell went back to school and earned Certificate in Secondary Education with emphasis on Teaching English as a Second Language from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) 1996. In 1998 after hearing the call to preach in 1996 Dr. Bell moved to Atlanta Georgia to attend the Phillips School of Theology (PST) at the prestigious Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) where in 2001 he graduated with a Master’s of Divinity Degree (M-Div.) and while there was inducted into the Theta-Phi International Theological Honor Society. Some years later, Dr. Bell again returned to school matriculating at The University of Michigan-Flint, where he received a Master’s of Science Degree in Biology with concentration on Genetics and Genomics in 2012.  Inspired by his father, Dr. William H. Bell, Sr., to get a “terminal degree” Dr. Bell, again, went back to school attending the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio where, in 2014, Dr. Bell received his Doctor of Ministry Degree (D-min) with emphasis on Leading Church Renewal.

 

Dr. Bell is happily married to the former Charmaine A. Powell of Victorville, California, his wife of 20 years. They have four sons in their blended family. Dexter Allen Powell, 33; Marsalis Aaron Powell, 28; Brandon D. Iles-Bell, 26 (Deceased); and Joshua Lance Odums, 21. This wonderful couple also has one grand-daughter, Kayla Sade Powell, age 14.