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David J. Bell, Senior Pastor,
grew up on a farm in Franklin, Pennsylvania, one
of ten children. He served in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps
from 1968-70. He graduated from Asbury College in 1974 and
served as pastor of a Christian & Missionary Alliance Church
near Tyronne, PA from 1975-77. He then graduated from Asbury
Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY in 1980 and served as pastor
of Faith Country Chapel Evangelical Methodist Church in New
Castle from 1979-84. |
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In 1984 he began his ministry with the
United Brethren Conference serving as a church planter in Erie, PA,
until 1990 when he began his ministry at First United Brethren Church.
Pastor Bell also served for nine years as District Superintendent of
Sandusky Conference of the United Brethren Church. He also served
two years as president of the Greater New Castle Ministerial Fellowship
and five years as a chaplain for the New Castle Police Department. Dave's hobbies include making maple
syrup every spring, woodworking, hiking and backpacking, hunting,
fishing, and anything else outdoors. He has been happily married
to his wife, Ann, since 1968; they have four children and nine
grandchildren. |
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Alan DeCristoforo, Prayer and Spiritual
Care Pastor, is the son of Millie and the
late Louie DeCristoforo and grew up with one sister, Alana; the
family has always attended the First United Brethren Church.
Pastor Al graduated from Asbury College in 1990 and majored in
Religion and Bible and minored in Philosophy. He graduated from
Asbury Theological Seminary in 1996. During his time at
seminary he served as teaching and grading assistant to the head
of the Department of Preaching and Worship and taught several
seminars on prayer. |
| He served as
pastor of the Maitland Memorial Primitive Methodist Church as
well as Highland Heights United Brethren Church before coming
back to the First United Brethren Church. In addition to his
duties as the Prayer and Spiritual Care Pastor, he also works
actively with the youth.
Alan and his wife, Marlene, are both natives of New Castle.
They were married on June 13, 1987, and have four biological
children and three other children who live with them.
In January of 2000 Alan was
left paralyzed from the waist down due to complications from
leukemia. He enjoys being able to help other people with
disabilities and is thankful that God has opened up this new
area of ministry for him.
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