V&B Ministries was organized in August 1999 by Pastor B.L. Bell of the New Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, and Pastor V.K. Jones of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Garland, Texas, during a meeting at the New Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. The birth of this ministry grew out of a Marriage Enrichment Conference that these two Men of God agreed to conduct together for the benefit of their Churches. Due to the overwhelming success of the marriage conference, which began with 17 couples, it was agreed that they would partner together on other ministry events and keep the name V&B Ministries.
The ministry was named by Pastor Bell who used his unique creative gifts to come up with a name that speaks to the essence of the ministry. Later in 2001 Pastor V.K. Jones created the V&B Logo and added the tag line: "Connecting Mankind to Ministry."
Pastor Jones served as the first President of V&B. God has uniquely gifted Pastor Jones in the area of Marriage Enrichment, so much so that he is now known all over the country for his teaching. V&B Ministries has grown well beyond that first retreat as well, while Pastor Bell is known as a master teacher and motivator of men to PARTNER WITH THEIR PASTOR IN MINISTRY.
Pastor Bell and Pastor Jones began in 2000 to have Church-wide Institutes that featured sound doctrinal teaching and dynamic life-altering preaching. Pastor Bell’s reputation as a preacher among preachers has brought such preaching giants as Dr. Frank Ray, Sr., Pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, TN., Dr. Timothy J. Winters, Pastor of Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego, CA., and Dr. R. A. Williams, Jr., Pastor of McCoy Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, CA., Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, JUST TO NAME A FEW, as guest evangelist and Institute instructors over the last few years.
True to their commitment to educate and train believers in the word of God both Pastor Bell and Pastor Jones earned their Doctorate Degrees from Faith Seminary in October 2005. Pastor Bell was the first to graduate with a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Strategic Leadership and Dr. Jones has a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching. Now celebrating their 20th year in existence, V&B Ministries has come to be known all over the country as a biblically sound, doctrinally clear, and spirit led Institute.
After Dr. V.K. Jones served as president for the first 10 years, the reigns of leadership were turned over to Pastor B.L. Bell in 2010. With new leadership has come a renewed desire to Connect Mankind to Ministry from Coast to Coast.
In November of 2010 Dr. V.K. Jones was the Lord’s choice to lead the People’s Missionary Baptist Church in Bakersfield CA., formerly pastored by the late Dr. Ishmael Kimbrough, Jr. It was the late Dr. Kimbrough who invested in V & B Ministries in 2009 by sponsoring and registering two of his associate ministers, Rev. Donnie Coleman and Rev. Paul Foots, to the National Church Wide Institute held in Dallas, Texas. This has led to the expansion of the V&B Church Wide Institute to include a West Coast Regional Meeting which was held at The People's Missionary Baptist Church in Bakersfield, CA in May 2011, and again in May 2012. It has also given birth to a YOUTH EXPLOSION which was held in Fort Wayne Indiana in July 2011. The host Church was Greater Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Anthony R. Pettus, Pastor, and Co-host church was Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Lonnie Anderson, Senior Pastor.
We have completed the V & B 12-day 2012 Holy Land Tour headed by Rev. Lonnie Anderson. The first V & B Minister’s Wives Conference was held in Dallas, Texas in April 2012. We had the second V & B Ministries Youth Conference on July 24-26, 2012 in Houston, Texas, the V&B National Church-Wide Institute in Dallas Texas, November 21-23, 2012, and a V & B Ministries trip to Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) from December 2-8, 2012. Plans are also being made for a V & B Marriage Enrichment Cruise, and for a V & B Single, Saved and Satisfied Retreat.
Dr. Bell and Dr. Jones have appointed other anointed and doctrinally sound leaders to help fulfill the vision that has been set forth from the birth of this ministry.
Dr. Frank E. Ray of the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, TN and Dr. Timothy J Winters (now deceased) of the Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego, CA agreed to serve as Senior Advisors to the Presidential Team. Both are well-respected leaders in the Christian community and tremendous gifts to the body of Christ.
Dr. Michael Adams who is President and CEO of Faith Seminary has agreed to partner with V&B Ministries and now Institute attendees can gain college credit through Faith Seminary.
· Rev. Lonnie Anderson was appointed as our Christian Education Director in February 2011.
· Rev. Anthony Pettus, was appointed Director of V & B Youth Conferences in March of 2011.
· Rev. Leroy Lacy was appointed Director of Regionals in April 2011.
· Rev. Carlton May was appointed Director of V&B International.
2019 saw V&B honor Pastor Anthony Pettus with the “Sword of the Spirit Award.” Pastor Pettus is the longest standing instructor of the Institute and has been a vital part of its success. 2019 also saw the V&B Institute recognized both locally by the Dallas city council, statewide by the Texas State Legislature, and nation-wide with the city of Bakersfield recognizing V&B Ministries with proclamations honoring the work done by Pastors Bell and Jones.
The future looks bright for V&B and we look with anticipatory anticipation to see what God will do next through this dynamic and life-changing ministry.