Pastor Charles Junior Ford
Founder of Berean Missionary Baptist Church, Bible Teacher, Marriage Counselor,Ambassador of the Gospel and Instructor/Founder and CEO of Berean Academy of Higher Learning(The School of the Prophets/Ministers).
Pastor Ford,is a native of Stuttgart,Arkansas. He was the third of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. James Ford on October 17, 1937. He confessed Christ on December 2, 1963, in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving to Chicago, Illinois, he served as a Deacon at the Little Flock Missionary Baptist Church. In July 1965, he relocated to Minneapolis, and united with St. John Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Ellis E. Bellfield. It was there that he professed his calling to the ministry and on August 7, 1966, he was licensed and ordained by Pastor Bellfield and the Minnesota State Baptist Convention to preach the Gospel.
On September 12, 1976, Reverend Charles and Margean Riley were united in marriage by Pastor Bellfield. In 1979, he was appointed by the Minnesota State Baptist Convention and the Church Expansion Outreach Committee to go to Rochester, Minnesota on a mission ministry for observations and church planning. Because of it's tremendous growth, he was given approval to incorporate that body of believers into a church(namely) Rochester Community Baptist Church, in which they called him to Pastor.
After commuting from Minneapolis to Rochester, Pastor Ford accepted the call in Minneapolis to shepherd the flock at Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church. During that season God begin his birthing process in Pastor Ford. On March 25, 1985 Berean Missionary Baptist Church was founded on the strength of God. It was in that birthing that God opened up Pastor Ford’s visionary gifting of church planting and expansion.
His vision for the Ministry all became a reality in 1990 with the property expansion which included 705 and 710 30th Avenue North and on June 1, 2003 the construction and completion of Phase I of our new building.
His work extended to the Community where he served as President of the North Side Collaborative Council and as a mentor to students and staff at North Star Community School. In August, 2005 Pastor received a resolution from Mayor R.T. Rybak and Councilman Don Samuels, honoring him for his services to the community.
Having Attended Luther Bible College and Northwestern Bible College. Pastor Ford is credited to having strong Administrative Skills and abilities. Although he has faithfully shepherded Berean Church Family for 25 years, still he challenges the church to continuous growth in knowledge of God's word and to be faithful unto death. As Tuesday Night School Instructor of Berean Academy of Higher Learning(BAHL), some classes taught are Homiletics. Wednesday Nights Bible focuses on the "objectives not on the obstacles". As a teacher on Men's Fellowship, some topics are: Learning how to be disciplined,(control, gained by obedience).
As an Ambassador for peace, he has traveled to South Soul Korea and five times to the Holy Land of Israel several times crossing the border on into the land of Jordan. Pastor Ford initiated a fast beginning Jan 22nd - 23rd 2006. he fasted 21 consecutive days and asked the Berean members to fast 9 of those days with him for the purpose of receiving 300 tithing members.
May 22, 2007, we historically watched another component of God's vision unfold as we attended Berean's first Commencement Exercise, observing each of the seven students proudly, yet...humbly, march across the stage, receiving their First Quarter Certificate of Progress from:
Berean Academy of Higher Learning
The School of The Prophets/Ministers
Presented by Charles Ford Ministries: Instructor/Founder & C.E.O.
God has Accredited Pastor Ford to perfect the saints for the work of the ministry and under his leadership Reverend Alvin Killion, Reverend Harry Kelly, Evangelist; Reverend Margean Ford and Reverend Dorothy Bently was recently licensed to preach the gospel. His most extensive work has been to make disciples of all who are willing to be lead by the Lord, until we come into Unity of Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.
At Present, Pastor Ford serves as 3rd Vice President of the Minnesota State Baptist Convention under the Presidency of Reverend Jerry McAfee of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.
We see Pastor Ford as God's Workmanship, created in Him to good works, in which God Ordained in advance for him to do.
On September 12, of this year (2010) he and Sister Ford celebrates 34 years of marriage.
To God be all the glory for which He has done.
