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A. R. Bernard

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A. R. Bernard
Born
Alfonso R. Bernard

(1953-08-10) August 10, 1953 (age 71)
Panama[1]
Occupation(s)Evangelist, pastor, businessman, television personality, life coach, formerly: banker
Spouse(s)Karen, 1972-present
Children7 children
ParentAdelina Fleming
ReligionPentecostal Christianity
Offices held
A. R. Bernard Ministries (founder and president)

Alfonso R. Bernard, Sr. (born August 10, 1953) is the pastor of the Christian Cultural Center Megachurch in Brooklyn, New York. In November 1979, A. R. Bernard, Sr. left a 10-year career with a major New York banking institution and together with his wife, Karen, went into full-time ministry.[2] What started as a small storefront church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has grown into a 37,000+ member church that sits on an 11+1⁄2-acre campus in Brooklyn, New York.[3] He is founder and CEO of the Christian Cultural Center.

Bernard has served as the president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York representing 1.5 million Protestants, Anglicans and Orthodox Christians. Bernard founded the Christian Community Relations Council[4] (CCRC, a NY based not-for-profit that will serve as a central resource and coordinating body for congregations and community organizations. He is currently on the board of directors for the Commission of Religious Leaders (CORL).

Bernard served on the NYC Economic Development Corporation Board for current mayor Bill de Blasio and former mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; NYC School Chancellor's Advisory Cabinet and on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2001 Transition Team and Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2014 Transition Team.[5]

Bernard is the founder of the Cultural Arts Academy Charter School[6] established in February 2010.

Bernard has a master's degree in urban studies and a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Wagner College and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary.[7]

Biography

Bernard was born in Panama, the son of a black Panamanian mother and a father who was a Castilian Spaniard.[8] His father disowned him and in 1957, he and his mother moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.[8] As part of the 1960s desegregation movement in the public school system, he was bused to school in Ridgewood, Queens and then attended Grover Cleveland High School. Bernard worked after school in the garment district pushing racks for $2.00 per hour to assist his mother in their single parent household. He landed a clerk position with Bankers Trust Company during his senior year of high school. Bernard earned a number of promotions leading to a position as Operations Specialist in the Consumer Lending Division.

Establishment of church

Prior to becoming a born again Christian in January 1975, Bernard was a part of the Muslim American movement. In 1978 he and his wife, Karen started a bible study in the kitchen of their Brooklyn railroad apartment. Bernard left his 10-year banking career in 1979 to go into ministry full-time. As the bible study group grew, so did the need for a facility. The Bernards took their savings and rented a small storefront in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. Later that year Household of Faith Ministries was incorporated. In 1988, Household of Faith purchased and renovated an abandoned Brooklyn supermarket into a 1000-seat sanctuary, complete with administrative offices and a bookstore. Household of Faith was renamed Christian Life Center and formally moved into its property in June 1989 with a membership of 625.

Further growth

As Christian Life Center began experiencing exponential growth — four Sunday services, lines forming at 4:00am, and overflow rooms filled to capacity, the ministry was quickly outgrowing its home on Linden Boulevard. The need for a larger facility was evident and in 1995 a vacant lot adjacent to Starrett City was purchased and construction followed immediately. On December 31, 2000, under the leadership of Bernard, Christian Cultural Center took its new name and moved into its new home. The 6.5-acre (26,000 m2) sanctuary and conference center also includes a chapel, bookstore, television production facilities and state of the art youth center. Christian Cultural Center, one of the largest independent churches in the United States, exemplifies a new paradigm in the worship experience. Bernard remains a highly sought after speaker, teacher and community leader. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and internationally addressing religious organizations, businessmen and political dignitaries.

Future expansion and development is anticipated on a 4.5-acre (18,000 m2) of land adjacent to the current CCC campus.

International Christian Brotherhood

Bernard was asked to serve on the board of directors for the Christian Men's Network (CMN) to help restructure the organization. During his six years on the board, CMN grew to an organization with 74 international offices and with a presence in approximately 150 nations. In addition to serving as treasurer for the board, Bernard was one of their most requested speakers. With the death of Dr. Edwin Louis Cole in 2002, he became the president of CMN. International Christian Brotherhood (ICB) began as an assigned project under the leadership of Ed Cole, but after a separation from CMN, Bernard re-launched ICB as his own Men's Ministry.

Controversy

During the campaigning for the 2016 presidential elections, Bernard joined the board of Donald Trump's "Evangelical Executive Advisory Board".[9] The purpose of the board was to "provide advisory support to Mr. Trump on those issues important to Evangelicals and other people of the faith in America,” the campaign said in a statement. Bernard then stepped down in 2017 quoting a "deepening conflict in values between myself and the administration."[10] Bernard had submitted his letter of resignation on 15 August 2017, the same day Trump made controversial remarks about the events that took place in Charlottesville.

Since 1999, A. R. Bernard has been visiting the controversial City Harvest Church in Singapore and maintains a close friendship with the church's founder Kong Hee. Kong was convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust, for misusing his church's building fund on his wife's singing career, masked through a series of bond investments.

A. R. Bernard has been the chairman of City Harvest Church’s advisory panel and vouched for the integrity of Kong Hee in 2010, when he was first arrested and sought to exert pressure on the Singapore government by political means and the press media.

Involvement in education

Bernard is also the founder of Brooklyn Preparatory School in New York City and Cultural Arts Academy Charter School. Formed in 1993, BPS is a premiere early education institution dedicated to serving young children, ages 3–6. Their June 1999 first grade graduates ranked 91st in the national percentile in reading and 96th in the national percentile in mathematics.

Family

Bernard is married to his wife Karen since 1972. Bernard and Karen met in high school in East New York, when he was 15 and she 16.[2] In an interview, he revealed that they were once headed for divorce because of some decisions that he had made and that he had made his "ministry his mistress".[11] In the early 1980s, Ms Bernard miscarried twins with Bernard was on the road and she blamed him for being absent and stayed bitter for a decade before he finally apologised.

They have 7 sons and several grandchildren together.[3]

His eldest son Alfonso R. Bernard Jr. died from an asthma attack on 4 February 2015 at the age of 39 and is survived by his wife Janel and four children.[12]

Published works

  • Happiness Is[13] (Touchstone, 2011)
  • Four Things Women Want from a Man[14] (Howard Books, 2017)

Honors and awards

  • The Ebony Power 100, Ebony Magazine, December 2010/January 2011
  • Crain's Business Publication, 2008, 25 Leaders Reshaping New York
  • New York Daily News, 2008, 2007, Most Influential Clergy
  • New York Post 2008 Most Influential African-American New Yorker
  • New York Daily News, 2008, 2007, Top 30 Most Influential Black New Yorker
  • New York Post 2007, Top 30 Most Influential Black New Yorker
  • Consulate General of Israel in New York 2007, Lifetime Achievement Award
  • New York Magazine, 2006 One of the city's Most Influential New Yorkers

A. R. Bernard broadcasts

Bernard is the host of two weekly television programs. A R Bernard and Faith In Practice – airing nationally on FamilyNet Television, Daystar Television and The Trinity Broadcasting Network. Bernard's radio broadcasts can be heard nationwide on Salem Communication stations, on FamilyNet Radio SIRIUS Channel 161, and locally within New York's tri-state area on WMCA and WLIB.

References

  1. ^ GUEST BIOA.R. Bernard Sr.: Former Black Muslim Speaks About Hope in JesusBy The 700 Club (CBN.com), accessed 1/20/2015.
  2. ^ a b Green, Penelope (2016-10-15). "The Power Pastor: How A. R. Bernard Built a New York Megachurch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  3. ^ a b "About Us". Christian Cultural Center. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  4. ^ "CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL, INC. · 12020 Flatlands Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11207". opengovus.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  5. ^ "Bill de Blasio Announces 60 Names for Transition Team". Observer. 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  6. ^ "Founding History - Cultural Arts Academy Charter School - Spring Creek". www.culturalartsacademy.org. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  7. ^ "A.R. Bernard". A.R. Bernard. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  8. ^ a b Charisma News: "Once a Loyal Muslim, A. R. BERNARD Now Marches to a Different Drum" by Herbert Toler August 22, 2015
  9. ^ "Trump's new evangelical advisory board includes Michele Bachmann". Religion News Service. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  10. ^ BST, Harry Farley Tue 22 Aug 2017 11:31. "AR Bernard explains why he left Trump\'s evangelical advisory board". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Megachurch Pastor AR Bernard Reveals He and Wife Were Once Headed for Divorce". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  12. ^ Blau, Reuven. "Alfonso Bernard Jr., son of longtime Brooklyn pastor, dies - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  13. ^ A. R. Bernard. "Happiness Is . . .: Simple Steps to a Life of Joy: A. R. Bernard: 9781451629224". www.amazon.com.
  14. ^ Bernard, A. R. (7 February 2017). Four Things Women Want from a Man: A. R. Bernard: 9781501146718: Amazon.com: Books. ISBN 978-1501146718.
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