Happy Birthday Bishop Destry C. Bell, Sr. Jurisdictional Prelate of the Texas Gulf Coast Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ

Bishop Destry C. Bell, Senior, Th.D.

Born: August 3, 1964 in Livingston, Texas

Parents: David Gene Bell and Connie Fay Bell

Education:
Barbara Jordan High School for Careers, Houston, TX
Charles Harrison Mason Bible College, Houston, TX
College of Biblical Studies, Houston, TX
Cornerstone University / Calvary Theological Seminary,
Houston, TX / Lake Charles, LA:
A.A., B.A. in Theology
Masters in Christian Counseling
Doctorate in Theology

Chronology:

• Age 16, received the Salvation of Jesus Christ
• Age 17, called to the Ministry under the leadership of Bishop A.C. Nelson, Jr.
• Age 18, received preaching license under the leadership of Superintendent Ezell Simmons
• Age 23, ordained by the late Bishop T.D. Iglehart of Texas Southwest Jurisdiction
• Age 32, appointed District Superintendent of the Inter-Faith District by Bishop Robert E. Woodard, Jr.
• Age 37, appointed Administrative Assistant in Charge of Superintendents by Bishop Rufus Kyles, Jr.
• Age 45, appointed Administrative Assistant and the elected Chairman of the Pastors & Elders Council, Texas Southeast First Jurisdiction
• Age 48, elected Vice Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Church of God in Christ
• Age 53, conferred Bishop Designee of Texas Gulf Coast COGIC by Presiding Bishop and General Board

Pastoral Service:

• Founding Pastor of Word of Faith Institutional Church Of God In Christ, Inc., April 1991 – July 2003
• Pastoral Shepherd of Williams Temple Church Of God In Christ, Inc., July 2003 – May 2007
• Founding Pastor of Christ Temple of Deliverance Church Of God In Christ, Inc., May 2007 to present
• Pastoral Shepherd of The People’s Church Of God In Christ, Inc., formerly known as Eighth Street Gospel Temple, February 2014  to present

Board Affiliations:

• Prairie View A & M University Executive Board for the Annual Minister’s Conference

Notable Achievement:

• June 2008, featured as a lead soloist on Kurt Carr’s album, “Just the Beginning”
• Nov 2009, nominated by General Council of Pastors & Elders as their candidate for the Judiciary Board Election
• Nov 2012, elected Vice Chairman of the General Council of Pastors & Elders Church of God in Christ
• Nov 2016, re-elected Vice Chairman of the General Council of Pastors & Elders Church of God in Christ

Personal:

Bishop Bell is complimented at home and in the ministry by his extraordinary wife of nearly 34 years, Evangelist Reatha Simmons Bell.  They have two adult children; a daughter, Shereatha, and a son, Destry, Jr.  Both progeny serve earnestly in multiple ministry capacities within the Christ Temple Church dynamics.
The life of Bishop Bell provides a wonderful example of the power of prayer, faithfulness, and obedience. 
Bishop Bell’s number one priority is saving souls for Jesus Christ and spiritually nurturing those that have given their life to Jesus. Bishop Bell’s proclaims the triumphant truth with messages that are relevant for modern experiences. Therefore, his ministry is uniquely designed to be a contemporary conduit for biblical training, spiritual growth, and personal development.