Dr. A.R. Bernard ​

Dr. A.R. Bernard is the Founder and Chairman of Christian Cultural Center Global, one of America’s largest and most influential independent churches with more than 32,000 members worldwide. His journey to becoming a spiritual leader was unconventional. At the age of four, he and his mother immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, from Panama, where he grew up as a streetwise young man with an entrepreneurial spirit. After exploring martial arts and spiritualism, his search for truth culminated on January 11, 1975, when he experienced a powerful conversion to Christianity—an encounter that redefined his purpose and inspired him to leave a successful decade-long career in banking to pursue full-time ministry. 

In 1978, with his wife Karen Bernard, he founded a small storefront parish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that has since transformed into a thriving institution with multiple locations and a robust global online ministry. Today, Christian Cultural Center leads a $1.2 billion real estate development project—an “Innovative Urban Village” featuring mixed-income housing, an integrated healthcare facility, educational spaces, retail, a performance arts center, and vital community services. 

Dr. Bernard’s influence extends beyond his congregation into civic, national, and global leadership. A respected voice in media and culture, he has appeared on CNN and Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday, and has advised figures including Denzel Washington, Curtis Martin, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. His leadership has been recognized with appointments to the boards of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Brooklyn Public Library, and The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, and as President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York. 

He has been named one of New York’s most influential leaders by The New York Daily News and The New York Post, listed among Crain’s “25 Most Influential Leaders,” and honored in Ebony Magazine’s “Power 100.” Additional honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consulate General of Israel and the 2024 Visionary Leadership Award from the New York Latter-day Saint Professional Association. 

As a thought leader and author, Dr. Bernard has penned Happiness Is… and the best-selling Four Things Women Want from a Man, with upcoming works Chasing Donkeys and Christ in Culture, as well as a new project with Simon & Schuster, scheduled for release in 2026. As Founder and CEO of ARB Media, he is producing the documentary Amazing Grace and a spoken word album through Sony Orchard, featuring his piece “Amazing Grace,” which premiered at Carnegie Hall. Through his various platforms, Dr. Bernard and his wife Karen continue to build a powerful legacy of faith, service, and cultural impact.