Our Pastor
Rev. Michael C. Bell
The Reverend Michael Christian Bell is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was licensed as the seventh son of the Little Ark Baptist Church on July 24, 1994. He joined Peace Baptist Church on December 20, 1998. Soon after he served concurrently as the Youth Pastor and Executive Pastor. He received ordination on September 27, 2003. During his 17-year tenure in those capacities, bi-vocationally held significant positions for the federal and local governments. Before re-entering the military service, he served as the former Sr. Program Director for Faith-Based Initiatives in the Office of Community Justice Programs for a Federal Agency. Before accepting the call as the 7th Pastor of Peace, Rev. Bell was active-duty military service, with two deployments and ministry (chaplaincy) to over seven thousand service members, their families and countless DA civilians across the U.S., Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudia Arabia, and Jordan. In addition, with his focus on families and strengthening healthy marriages, with the co-instruction of his loving wife and life partner, Robin, he developed data-centric programming that markedly decreased suicidal ideations and successful suicides by 98% through faith-driven approaches and partnerships with Behavioral Health professionals within his Units.
Reverend Bell completed the Master of Arts program at Howard University School of Divinity in 2015, concentrating on Biblical Studies and languages. His thesis work entitled, ‘Ladies Sings the Blues: A Post-colonialist Afterthought Regarding Womanist Approaches to the Slave Narrative of Hagar,’ has received high reviews on Academia.edu. He received a Master’s Certificate in Muslim-Christian Studies from the Washington Theological Consortium in 2014, and his Master of Divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2005. He is currently in his second year of Ph.D. studies and additionally authoring collaborative articles for future publication.
Some former and current organizational memberships and affiliations are: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Society of Biblical Literature, American Academy of Religion, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for Youth Theology, Big Brother Big Sisters of America; The Amachi Faith Based Mentorship Program, Clergy Police Community Partnership; R.O.C. Central, Washington Interfaith Network, Industrial Areas Foundation, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society; Virginia Union University Chapter, The Golden Key International Honour Society; Howard University Chapter. He has received numerous academic, professional, and service awards.
Rev. Bell is continually given grace through the support and love of his wife, Robin, and their four children, Mychael Avi, Matthew Gregory, Chandler Elyse, and Sion Gates. They live in Upper Marlboro, MD.