A. R. Bernard is one of the most influential religious leaders and a transformative visionary. He leads one of the largest congregations in the United States, with 40,000+ members. Bernard enjoyed a successful career in finance before following his calling and opening a small storefront church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He is now the Founder, President and Senior Pastor of Christian Cultural Center (CCC).
Once a Nation of Islam follower and teenage civil rights activist, A. R. Bernard’s secretary introduced him to Christ and invited him to a Nicky Cruz crusade where he surrendered his life to Christ. From that point forward, Bernard has been a student of history and the Bible — educating, nurturing, and equipping his congregants to navigate their faith with sound values and biblical principles.
Today, he is a premiere thought leader in Christianity and American History/Race Relations and has been featured on Fox News, CNN, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, CBS News, TBN, BET and has his own weekly show on Daystar TV. Bernard embraces radio, TV, social media and other forms of communication as a way to share his message and bring Christ to the culture on a regular basis.
As a mentor to pastors, Bernard also counsels top figures in business, entertainment and politics. He has served on the NYC Economic Development Corporation for Mayors Bill de Blasio and Michael R. Bloomberg; he’s been a part of the NYC School Chancellor’s Advisory Cabinet and served on both Mayor Bloomberg’s 2001 and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2014 Transition Teams. Bernard has welcomed a host of world leaders, dignitaries, governors, senators, congress members, and local officials to CCC; such as President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, New York Governors – Andrew Cuomo, David Paterson, George Pataki, Eliot Spitzer, New York City Mayors – Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio, Michael Bloomberg, and David Dinkins, Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, New York Attorney General Letitia James, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, President Reuven Rivlin, of the State of Israel and Israeli Consul Generals of New York – Ido Aharoni and Dani Dayan.
As a visionary, who witnessed how faith has brought hope into communities that were mostly ignored and underserved, Rev. Bernard has led CCC in a partnership with Gotham Organization for a development project on the 10-acre property adjacent to the megachurch’s main Brooklyn Campus. This project will create over 2,000 units of income-based workforce housing, healthcare and educational facilities, retail stores, performance arts center and community service spaces. This partnership will be a generational joint venture between Innovative Urban village (CCC’s Community Development Division) and Gotham Organization. Construction began in April 2024 and will continue over the next decade. CCC also has campuses in Long Island, NY and Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia.
Rev. Bernard has a Master of Professional Studies and a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Wagner College, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary.
His wife, Karen, resigned from her career with the Queens County Supreme Court and accepted her calling to co-pastor with her husband. Together they have successfully experienced 53 years of marriage, 46 years of ministry, raised 7 sons, blessed with 27 beautiful grandchildren and 1 great grand.