Berean Missionary Baptist Church

The Church Grows as it knows.

Pastor Ford is a native of Stuttgart, Arkansas. The third of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. James Ford, he confessed Christ on December 2, 1963, in St. Louis, Missouri. Later he moved to Chicago, IL, and united with Little Flock Missionary Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon. In July 1965, he relocated to Minneapolis, MN, and united with St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Ellis Bellfield, Pastor. In July 1970, he professed his calling to the ministry and was licensed and ordained by Pastor Bellfield and the Minnesota State Baptist Convention to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastor Ford was united in marriage to Margean Riley-Ford, on September 12, 1976.

The MN State Baptist Convention and the Church Expansion Committee commissioned Pastor and Sister Ford on a three-year mission ministry to Rochester, MN for observations and church planting. Due to the mission's tremendous growth, Pastor and Sister Ford was approved to incorporate that mission body of believers into a Rochester Community Baptist Church church, where he was called to pastor.  After a great deal of commuting from Minneapolis to Rochester, he later received a call from Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis to shepherd their flock; making the transition was not easy but it was during that season God began his birthing process.

On March 25, 1985, Berean Missionary Baptist Church was born on the strength of God and in doing so God also opened Pastor Ford’s visionary gifting of church planting and expansion. His vision for the ministry began to unfold in 1990 with the property expansion of 704 and 710 30th avenue north. On June 1, 2003, the construction and completion of Phase I of our new building became evident. Pastor Ford’s 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 Ford received a Resolution from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Councilman Don Samuels, honoring him for his services to the community. Pastor Ford has also participated in Habitat for Humanity, an initiative by former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. 

Having attended Northwestern Bible College and Luther Theological Seminary, Pastor Ford is credited with having strong administrative skills and abilities. Although he has faithfully, watched over the Berean Church family for 28 years, he “still” challenges the church to continuous growth in faithfulness and in the knowledge of God’s word. As an ambassador for peace, Pastor Ford traveled to Seoul, South Korea and several times abroad to Israel crossing the border into Jordan.

His long-awaited vision to begin a school was birthed in 2006 and with the first quarter commencement exercise on May 22, 2007, presenting each student with a Certificate of Progress; these students were the first graduating class of 2010 receiving their three-year Diploma of Graduation presented by founder/instructor/CEO of Berean Academy of Higher Learning Pastor Charles Ford.  On September 26, 2012, Pastor Ford received his Doctorate of Ministry Degree from The College of Pastoral Care and Ministry Department from Dr. David Sigversten, President of the Minnesota Graduate School of Theology.

God has Accredited Pastor Ford to perfect the Saints for the work of the Ministry. Under his leadership; Rev. Willie Kelly, Rev. Anthony Mills, Rev. Alvin Killion, Rev. Harry Kelly, Rev. Margean Ford, Rev. Dorothy Bentley Myles, Rev. Joseph Myles, Rev. Dwight Streeter, Rev. Timothy Christopher, Rev. Vernell Bernetti, Rev. Latrissa Favorite, Rev. Desmond Crofford, Rev. Olenka Brown, Rev. Yetta McConnell, Rev. Douglas Whiteside, Rev. Hollis Caldwell, Rev. Vernon Sowell, and Rev. Gloria Abbott were license to preach the Gospel. Moving forward Pastor Charles Ford was blessed to ordain Rev. Alvin Killion, Rev. Harry Kelly, Rev. Margean Ford,     Rev. Joseph Myles, Rev. Hubert Thomas, and Rev. Vernon Sowell. ‘Yet’’…his most extensive work has been to make disciples for the edifying of the body of Christ; ‘til we all come in the unity of faith, and of all the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

After 51 years of preaching and teaching the gospel, on December 5, 2021, Pastor Charles Ford, stood before the congregation and announced that today would be his final sermon preaching from Isaiah 55: 1-3 To God Be the Glory For All He’s Done in Pastor Ford Life.

On May 19th, 2022 Pastor Reverend Dr. Charles Ford has gone on to be with the Lord. We are so grateful to have had a teacher, a preacher, a visionary, an instructor, and a man whose legacy, will forever be memorialized in The Baptist Community, and the State of Minnesota.

Founder late: Dr. Charles. Ford, Pastor Emeritus