A.R. Bernard

Alfonso Rogelio “A.R.” Bernard Sr. (born August 10, 1953) is an American pastor, author, and civic leader based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the founder of Christian Cultural Center, New York City’s largest evangelical church, which he built from a small storefront congregation in 1978 into a campus serving more than 37,000 members. Known as “the power pastor” for his decades of influence over New York City politics and public life, Bernard stepped back from the senior pastorate in September 2025, handing leadership to his son, Jamaal Bernard.

Early Life and Background

A.R. Bernard was born on August 10, 1953, in Panama, to an Afro-Panamanian mother and a Castilian Spanish father. His father disowned him, and in 1957 he and his mother moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He grew up Catholic and attended Mass with his family before later connecting with local Protestant churches.

Bernard attended Grover Cleveland High School in Queens as part of the era’s school desegregation efforts. He worked after school in the garment district to help support his family and later took a clerk position at Bankers Trust Company during his senior year of high school. As a young man, he was also involved with the Black Muslim movement before his eventual conversion to Christianity.

Education

Bernard went on to earn a Master of Urban Studies and a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary, building an academic foundation that would later shape his emphasis on connecting faith with civic and social institutions rather than confining it to the four walls of a church.

Career Before Ministry

Before entering full-time ministry, Bernard spent ten years in a banking career at a major New York financial institution. That corporate background later became part of his signature message: that Christian faith belongs inside business, government, and culture, not apart from them.

Founding Christian Cultural Center

[IMAGE: Christian Cultural Center campus, Brooklyn New York]

In 1978, Bernard and his wife, Karen, began a Bible study in the kitchen of their Brooklyn railroad apartment. In November 1979, he left his ten-year banking career to enter full-time ministry, and together they opened a small storefront church in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. That congregation grew into Christian Cultural Center, which by the 2000s had built a 5,000-seat auditorium on an 11.5-acre campus and today counts more than 37,000 members across its Brooklyn headquarters, Long Island campus, an Orlando, Florida campus, and a virtual congregation reaching viewers worldwide.

Under Bernard’s leadership, CCC became known for pairing traditional worship with an emphasis on education, economic development, and civic engagement, drawing comparisons to a fusion of cathedral, museum, and college campus.

Civic and Public Life

Bernard built a public profile well beyond his church. He served as President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, representing roughly 1.5 million Protestants, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians. He sat on the NYC Economic Development Corporation Board, served on the NYC School Chancellor’s Advisory Cabinet, and was part of the transition teams for both Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2001 and Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014. He founded the Cultural Arts Academy Charter School in 2010 and became a regular media contributor, appearing on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, BET, TBN, and Daystar. In 2016, he joined Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, then resigned in 2017, citing a deepening conflict of values.

Rise to Prominence

Bernard’s combination of finance background, theological training, and civic engagement earned him the nickname “the power pastor” from The New York Times, reflecting his unusual reach across City Hall, business, and the pulpit at once. He became a go-to voice for national media on the intersection of faith, culture, and public policy, and CCC’s growth into New York’s largest evangelical church cemented his standing as one of the most influential Black religious leaders in the country.

Books and Publications

Bernard is the author of several books, including Happiness Is… Simple Steps to a Life of Joy and Four Things Women Want From a Man, both aimed at applying biblical principles to everyday relationships and personal growth rather than strictly doctrinal teaching.

Personal Life

Marriage to Karen Bernard

Bernard met his wife, Karen, in high school, when he was 15 and she was 16. They married on October 1, 1972, and have been together for more than 50 years. Karen left a career at the Queens County Supreme Court to help raise their seven sons and to co-pastor Christian Cultural Center alongside her husband. The couple has spoken publicly about facing serious strain early in their marriage, strain they say they overcame through their shared faith. Karen Bernard also lives with multiple sclerosis, a reality her husband has referenced when discussing patience and partnership in marriage.

Children

A.R. and Karen Bernard raised seven sons together. Their oldest, Alfonso R. Bernard Jr., known as “Fonz,” was a chef and caterer who ran a company serving politicians and celebrities and regularly donated food to homeless shelters. He died on February 4, 2015, after a fatal asthma attack at age 39. Bernard announced the loss publicly, writing on social media, “Last night I lost my first born son to an asthma attack. It hurts… I love you forever, Fonz.” Funeral services were held at Christian Cultural Center.

In October 2021, the family suffered a second loss when their son Jhared Bernard Sr. died at age 40 after a struggle with alcoholism. Bernard again shared the news publicly, and the church released a statement asking the congregation to continue trusting God through the grief. New York officials, including Senator Chuck Schumer, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, publicly expressed support for the family.

Their son Jamaal Bernard has remained closely involved in CCC’s ministry for years, founding the church’s youth ministry C3, leading the Long Island campus starting in 2015, and eventually succeeding his father as senior pastor of the Brooklyn headquarters in 2025. Jamaal is married to Rita Bernard, and the couple has four children.

Retirement and Succession

[IMAGE: Pastor Jamaal Bernard installation ceremony, Christian Cultural Center]

In September 2025, at age 72, Bernard formally installed his son Jamaal as the new senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center, effectively stepping back from day-to-day pulpit leadership after founding and leading the church for more than four decades. The transition mirrored a similar high-profile succession at T.D. Jakes’s Potter’s House, where leadership passed to his daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and son-in-law Touré Roberts. At the installation service, Bernard called the moment “both a culmination and a commencement,” saying he was proud to see the ministry continue in capable hands. Some observers have raised questions about whether these father-to-child transitions amount to “church dynasties,” while others argue that children raised inside a ministry’s founding vision are uniquely positioned to carry it forward.

Theology and Ministry Philosophy

Bernard has long argued that Christian faith shouldn’t be confined to church walls but should actively engage business, government, education, and culture. He’s cited theologian Richard Niebuhr’s framework on Christ and culture as an influence on his own thinking, rejecting the idea that Christians should retreat from public life. That philosophy shaped CCC’s approach from the beginning, combining traditional Pentecostal-rooted worship with heavy investment in schools, civic partnerships, and public discourse.

Influence and Legacy

Bernard built Christian Cultural Center from a handful of members meeting in a Brooklyn apartment into New York City’s largest evangelical church, with a footprint that includes a charter school, multiple campuses, and decades of involvement in city and national politics. His influence extended into national television and public discourse well beyond his own congregation, and his succession planning, formally handing the pulpit to his son in 2025, positioned CCC to continue under family leadership rather than an external appointment.

Net Worth and Financial Information

A.R. Bernard’s net worth is commonly estimated at around $5 million, based on his decades leading Christian Cultural Center, his authored books, and his media and speaking engagements. These figures come from third-party estimates rather than disclosed financial statements, so they should be treated as approximate rather than confirmed.

Interesting Facts

• Bernard was part of the Black Muslim movement as a young man before his conversion to Christianity.
• He and Karen started Christian Cultural Center as a Bible study in their own kitchen.
• He briefly served on Donald Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board before resigning over a conflict in values.
• He founded a charter school, the Cultural Arts Academy, in Brooklyn in 2010.
• The New York Times once dubbed him “the power pastor” for his reach across city politics.

Timeline

Frequently Asked Questions

What denomination is A.R. Bernard?

Christian Cultural Center is non-denominational, with worship rooted in the Pentecostal tradition.

What is A.R. Bernard’s net worth?

Estimates commonly place his net worth around $5 million, though this figure comes from third-party sources rather than confirmed financial disclosures.

Who is A.R. Bernard’s wife?

He’s married to Karen Bernard, whom he met in high school. They married in 1972 and have co-pastored together for decades.

Is A.R. Bernard retiring?

He stepped down as senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center in September 2025, installing his son Jamaal Bernard as his successor.

How many children does A.R. Bernard have?

He and Karen Bernard raised seven sons together.

How old is A.R. Bernard?

Born August 10, 1953, he is 73 years old as of 2026.

What is A.R. Bernard’s full name?

His full name is Alfonso Rogelio Bernard Sr.

Did A.R. Bernard lose a son?

Yes. His oldest son, Alfonso Bernard Jr., died in 2015 following an asthma attack at age 39. His son Jhared Bernard Sr. died in 2021 at age 40 after a struggle with alcoholism. Bernard shared both losses publicly and the church held services to support the family.

Read Also

• T.D. Jakes
• Mike Todd
• Samuel Rodriguez
• Robert Madu
• Dharius Daniels