press releases
Big Pulpit
THE sloped main sanctuary fits 3,195 and could pass for a concert hall: cushioned chairs, a band, almost no religious adornments. The spire-less exterior is so utilitarian that when it first appeared in this East New York, Brooklyn, neighborhood, across from auto fixit shops, people thought it was the telephone company.
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Pastor's higher calling is in housing
Since beginning a ministry in the kitchen of a modest Brooklyn home in 1978, the Reverend A.R. Bernard has grown his church into the city's second–largest, with a congregation of 29,000 and an annual budget of $60 million. He demonstrated his clout last year by inserting himself into a citywide debate over affordable housing, leading the opposition to a sale of Brooklyn's Starrett City, which probably would have resulted in higher rents for the 5,880 units there.
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What makes a Black man cheat?
Whether happily married or single and searching, every woman wants one question answered: Will he be faithful?
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Church Leader Looks To Play Role In New Ownership Of Starrett City
The sale of Starrett City is expected to be one for the record books, but residents fear the more a buyer pays for the apartments, the more residents will eventually have to pay in rent. NY1 Brooklyn reporter Jeanine Ramirez spoke to a community leader who is involved in the deal and filed the following report.
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Your Pursuit of Happiness
"Our lives are comprised of our choices," explains A.R. Bernard, pastor and founder of New York's Christian Cultural Center and the author of Happiness Is...Simple Steps to a Life of Joy (Touchstone Faith).
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The Pursuit of Happiness
Spring is a time of renewal. As the days grow warmer and longer, we're more likely to respond to our more generous impulses. Whether or not one decides to act on such positive thinking is a decision, says the Rev. A. R. Bernard, author of Happiness Is...Simple Steps to a Life of Joy...
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How Street Smart Churches Are Changing The Fabric Of New York City
Minister of Culture: A. R. Bernard inside his new sanctuary, which serves a congregation of 21,000.
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A Mighty Flock of Faithful
Malissa Redmond, praise and worship leader: My whole family was raised in Rugged Cross Baptist Church. It was very close-knit; you knew everybody and everybody knew you. But I felt in my spirit that I needed more. When I started visiting Christian Cultural Center, I found that it filled that void in my life.
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The Council's New President
The Rev. A. R. Bernard Sr. has assumed new leadership as President of the Council of Churches of the City of NY.
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Nation Under God?
When Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan called for 1 million black men to descend on Washington D.C., in 1995 for a day of atonement, the Christian media turned to Dr. A.R. Bernard for insight.
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New York Magazine - The Influentials
New Yorks megachurch man. His Christian Cultural Center built on an eleven-acre campus in Canarsie-it would look more at home in Houston or L.A.
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Dear Dad If Only I Could Tell You - BlackSpin Voices - Black Voices' Spin on the Headlines
There are two holidays in the black community that are polar opposites when it comes to celebration.
The most celebrated, Easter Sunday, is the day when black folks are probably their most colorful, most expressive and dedicated to the longtime foundation of black culture: the church.
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The Church Executive Interview
“In Bell Case, Black New Yorkers See Nuances That Temper Rage,” said the April 27 headline in The New York Times, two days after the judge’s verdict that acquitted three detectives charged in the shooting of Sean Bell on Nov. 25, 2006. The night Bell was killed,he had been at a club celebrating because he was being married the next day.
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Nation's Oldest Ecumenical Council of Churches Installs New Head
The Rev. A.R. Bernard, founding senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center, was officiated as the new president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York Thursday night, during an installation service where speakers called for the revival of the Church.
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Pope to Lead Ecumenical Prayer Service at Manhattan Parish
Rev. Dr. A. R. Bernard Sr., President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York and founder and Senior Pastor of The Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. He is also host of two weekly television programs, Faith in Practice with A. R. Bernard and The A. R. Bernard Show.
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Coalition Draws Up Starrett City Bid
A coalition of local labor, religious and community organizations is putting together a plan to buy Starrett City, the largest federally subsidized housing complex in the nation.
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Happiness Is...by Rev. A.R. Bernard
The Rev. A.R. Bernard is a sought after speaker, and has been an adviser and counselor to presidents, senators, sports figures and celebrities.
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Top 30 Players
From a union leader to a Hollywood director to a Wall Street titan, this is the annual list of the 30 most influential Black New Yorkers.
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Influential African-American & Caribbean-American Leaders in the New York Area
Pulpits & Pews Ply Electoral Power
Black churches playing greater roles in city's political landscape.
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