He led the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in the establishment of relevant ministries, a major building restoration project, and in the year-long celebration of a centuryFrom 1993 to 2006, he served the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York. While there, he doubled the church’s ministry budget and led the church to purchase and establish the Whiteside-Parks Family Life Center, the first family life center operated by a black church in Nashville.įrom 1993 to 2006, he served the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York. He served the Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, from 1984 to 1993. Bernstine has been privileged to serve as pastor of three wonderful congregations. Last year he released The Evening and The Morning: A Liberation Primer of the Creation Story, and during the COVID19 pandemic released Part 1 of Hope Me, Lord: Prophetic Meditations, releasing Part 2, January 2022.ĭr. His most recent publications have been self-published, Ministry in a Disaster Zone: The Seven Cross Sayings of Jesus, A Ministry that Save Lives: Sermons and Reflections on Ministry in A Challenging Context, Orientation for Children Who want To Love Jesus, Give Power to the People: The Congregational Enablement Model Revisited, Church Through the Roof: Re-Storying Your Church’s Ministry and As For Me and My House, Too: Some More Redemptive Words for the African American Family. He also submitted for publication, As For Me and My House: Redemptive Words for the Black Family.
While employed with the Sunday School Publishing Board, he wrote numerous journal articles on Family Ministry related issues, and manuals to assist Christian education. Bernstine served as the Director of Family Ministry at the Sunday School Publishing Board from 1991 to 1995. Bernstine completed studies and received a graduate degree in Psychology and Counseling.ĭr. In 1995 he received the Doctor of Ministry Degree, with his dissertation project focusing on “Preaching that Enhances the African American Family: Homilies on the Jacob Narratives.” In 2011, Dr.
Samuel Dewitt Proctor Fellow at the United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. In 1984, he received the Masters of Divinity Degree, with a concentration on Preaching and Biblical Studies, receiving the distinction of the Florence Conwell Preaching Honor. He continued studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. He transferred to Bishop College, Dallas, Texas, graduating in 1981 at the top of his class, Magna Cum Laude. In 1977, he responded to God’s call to ministry and radically changed his interests. As a result, he barely completed the requirements for a high school diploma.Īfter several years as an entrepreneur, he decided to return to school in Sales and Marketing at Laney College, Oakland, CA.
However his academic promise was frustrated by family struggles and the drama of the Sixties. He went from the kindergarten to the second grade. It was seen quite early that Alvin had promise, and was accelerated by skipping the second grade.
He was born in Oakland, California, receiving his primary education in the Oakland Public School system. Bernstine is a fourth generation Baptist preacher.