Ron Bell serves as Director of Healing and Resilience for Discipleship Ministries and The Upper room. He is passionate about emotional formation and the intersection of faith and mental health. Ron has also served in the past as both a new church plant pastor, Director over Congregational Development and SBC 21 for the Peninsula Delaware Annual Conference and also a senior pastor of an existing traditional UMC church; Camphor Memorial UMC in the Minnesota Annual Conference. He is an author, and regular guest columnist for several publications. He has written articles for The Upper Room, UMNews.org and has published articles in the Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support quarterly journal, and Wesley Theological Seminary’s Lewis Center for Church Leaders’ Leading Ideas newsletter, among other publications. Three of his most popular books deal with his work with grief and trauma: Is There Space for Me Embracing Greif through Art, The Eagle and the Squirrel: Stories, Fables and Truths for Emotional Formation and The Four Promises Journeying through Past and Present Trauma. He has also created an ongoing webinar series on Trauma and Empathy that he has led with several universities including St. Paul College, Bethel University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Fuller Theological Seminary and several others, as well as with numerous nonprofits and county agencies. He serves on many boards including Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support, National Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education board and SBC21 national executive committee. Ron is married to Dr. Eboni M. Bell, and they have two sons.
Ron has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Morgan State University, a master’s degree in theology from Regent University School of Divinity, a doctorate degree in Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary, he has been certified in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention from Rutgers University School of Social Work and he has a Business Leadership Certificate from Central Piedmont Community College. Ron is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
