Rev. A. R. Bernard: Well, it’s like the apostle Paul [said] in Philippians Chapter 3. He said, “I count not myself to have apprehended but I’m trying to understand that for which I’ve been apprehended by Christ.” He couldn’t understand why Christ would go so far to seize his life and [was asking], what does it mean? That’s a journey. I don’t think we’ll ever answer that question, not in this life. 

Clayton Perry: Do you ever question God?  

Rev. A. R. Bernard: Oh, absolutely, very politely, and respectfully.

Clayton Perry: That’s the best way, I guess. At what point did you decide to become a minister of His word?  

Rev. A. R. Bernard: Well, I didn’t decide. I discovered a gift – of learning, of insight into the Scripture, of articulating the Scripture in a very practical, relevant way. As I began to exercise that gift, it began to make room for me in ministry. How do I translate that now into a calling? The denomination that I was in and some ministerial leaders helped me to understand that calling and clarify it, and I recognized that God’s hand was upon my life. I was a banker for 10 years, and a certain dissatisfaction with the business world that I was working in coupled with the discovery of a gift and a calling on my life. I simply answered [the call].

Clayton Perry: When I look at your congregation, I am simply amazed by the sheer diversity of the Christian Cultural Center (CCC). I live in North Carolina, which is part of the “Bible Belt” of the South, and such a “beloved community” is rarely formed or seen. As a child I always heard, “11:00 AM on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour of the day.” Martin Luther King even expounded on this social form of segregation, saying, “the cross has no east and no west.” How did you manage to get such a diverse group of worshippers together? 

Rev. A. R. Bernard: Well, I have to tell you I’m amazed, too, but the reality is I think, live, and practice ministry beyond racial and cultural differences. As a result, all cultures feel comfortable in our environment. We speak of community, not just fellowship. What gives the church strength as community and in community is diversity. Yet the power of the group is in the creativity of the individual, so we recognize the individual’s ability, no matter what their background, to contribute to the whole.

We live, think and speak multiculturalism. In part it has to do with where we are. New York is a very multicultural metropolis, yet the reality is that you can go to churches that are all Korean, all black, all white, all Spanish. So in addition to the multicultural environment of New York City , we are intentional about multiculturalism.