Amid a divided country, attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, Asbury United Methodist Church has called a new pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ron Bell, who began his tenure at the historic African American congregation in the District last week.
“My excitement in terms of Asbury is that it can be a beacon of hope to say to the nation, ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalms 46:10),” Bell told The Informer. “I’m excited about that possibility.”
Bell, an author who has distinguished himself in the field of counseling and mental health, is ready to serve at Asbury at a time when the church and its members have been forced to deal with many challenges.
In 2020, the church had its Black Lives Matter sign destroyed and burned by the Proud Boys, and since then has fought to keep going as downtown continues to change.
A new layer of this continuous development began July 1, when Bell, 44, his wife, and their two sons, ages 13 and 10, arrived at the Northwest institution to begin a ministry set to focus on the needs of individual congregation members.
“It’s at the intersection of Jesus’ divinity and humanity that we find relief,” Bell said. “By acknowledging our flaws while also being aware of our power and potential we can excel. That’s my message. We are all messy miracles.”
The new pastor succeeds the Rev. Dr. Ianther Mills, who is leaving Asbury after serving for more than 12 years. She has been named by the bishop as the superintendent of the new Tidal Basin District of the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Joseph Yearwood, a long-time member of Asbury, said Mills “has been phenomenal,” leading as senior pastor through a critical time in the church’s history that included campaigns to fortify the edifice, drama with the Proud Boys and their destruction of a church sign, and the decrease in services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She has truly secured her legacy among the many outstanding pastors that have graced Asbury’s pulpit,” Yearwood said.
Robert Mallett, a member of the Board of Trustees at Asbury, is also excited about the new pastor and looking forward to watching his ministry unfold in the church, the District and beyond.
“Dr. Bell has big footsteps to follow as the Rev. Dr. Ianther Mills, Asbury’s first woman senior pastor, was a fine leader, administrator, preacher, and pastor,” Mallett said. “I hope for him that he is ready to lead in the nation’s capital where so much is happening. This is a particularly fraught and fragile time in our national life, and, like many churches, we need a prophetic messenger to minister to those who may be suffering, to galvanize those who are ready to respond to the present challenge, and to lean into the history of Asbury as a rebellious church.”
Mallett reflected on the faith institution’s own history of resilience, which was founded in 1836 as Asbury Chapel by a group of African American parishioners who broke away from Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.
“We left Foundry and started our own church 189 years ago because we no longer wanted to be treated as second class congregants in a first class religion, which is the religion of Jesus where all people matter,” Mallett told The Informer. “We now live in a time when some people seem to matter more than others, and that’s anathema to Asburyans.”
‘To Me, the Only Hope is Jesus‘
Bell comes to the District from North Carolina, where he served as the director for the Center of Healing and Resilience for Discipleship Ministries and The Upper Room.
He also served as executive director of Space for Me Consulting, a mental health professional development training and resourcing company.
Now, he plans to bring this expertise to Asbury.
“For the last three years I have focused on the emotional and mental health of pastors and leaders,” Bell said. “When I think about where the nation is right now in terms of internalized anxiety, loss of jobs, war on the brink, to me the only hope is Jesus.”
Bell earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Morgan State University, a master’s degree in theology from Regent University School of Divinity, and a doctorate in Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary. He has been certified in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention from the Rutgers University School of Social Work.
The faith leader, husband and father is an author and host of the Lead Well Podcast. He has also written articles for The Upper Room, UMNews, and has published articles in the Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support quarterly journal, as well as Wesley Theological Seminary’s Lewis Center for Church Leaders’ Leading Ideas newsletter.
Three of Bell’s most popular books deal with his work with grief and trauma: “Stories for Another Day: A Journal,” “Is There Space for Me Embracing Grief through Art,” and “The Four Promises Journeying through Past and Present Trauma.”
He serves on many boards including the Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support, the National Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education board, and the SBC21 national executive committee.
Bell also has a certificate in Psychological Safety from the Academy of Brain-based Leadership and a certificate in Business Leadership from Central Piedmont Community College.
In addition, the newly minted Asbury pastor brings organizational management skills to the historic church. He served as pastor of a new church plant and as director of congregational development for the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, along with senior pastor of the Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in the Minnesota Annual Conference.
In the aftermath of the global pandemic, less people are attending church services but the need for people to be ministered to is even greater, Bell said.
“We get so caught up with the Divinity of Christ until we miss the humanity of Christ,” Bell told The Informer. “Jesus was so good at taking breaks and disappearing and resting and hanging out with friends.”
He highlighted the value in taking moments to unplug, emphasizing “breath and consumption.”
“It is good to breathe. Turn the TV off, find the place that feeds your soul,” said the Asbury pastor, who has a speciality in the area of assisting faith leaders with fatigue, burnout, and conflict resolution. “CNN, MSNBC all day, of course you have toxicity. Turn that stuff off. Go put on Frankie Beverly and Maze.”
Mallett is hopeful Bell’s previous work will be the key to advancing the historic church and its work within the community.
“We are excited about new beginnings with the anticipation of the arrival of our new senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ron Bell. We look forward to adopting and implementing his vision for Asbury,” Mallet said. “I am certain that his experience and expertise will further enhance Asbury’s legacy and that he is well equipped to meet the challenges of a church located in a gentrified downtown community.”