Charges have been filed against Bishop Bell in the Board of Bishops, click below to view.
Is He After the money?
Pastor Earl H Williams, and the Kirbyville Church of God in Christ, alone with nine other pastors and their churches decided to resign from their positions and duties in the Texas Gulf Coast Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, in order to try and form a jurisdiction in their area of Beaumont, Tx. Driving two hours to Missouri City, TX to their jurisdictional headquarters was very taxing, and having to stay in a motel was also expensive, because of these issues most of their members didn’t attend most of the jurisdictional functions.
On October 10, 2023, Pastor Williams submitted his resignation as Assistant Superintendent to the district he was in. Bishop Destry C. Bell Sr. On October 14, 2023, he subsequently received an email from the bishop stating, that he accepted his resignation and resumed pastoral leadership of the Kirbyville COGIC.
In our fall assembly meeting of October 2020 Bishop Bell asked if Pastor Williams would serve as the assistant district superintendent for District Superintendent Lonnie Freeman of the East Texas Fellowship District. Doctor Freeman’s poor and failing health would not allow him to do all the traveling and duties that come with being a District Superintendent. Pastor Williams told Bishop Bell; he would gladly assist Doctor Freeman.
This is the only jurisdictional position that Pastor Williams held. This was the position and duties he was referring to.
On October 15,2023 he sent Bishop Bell an email and a registered letter, informing bishop that I had not resigned as pastor of the Kirbyville COGIC, but from the Texas Gulf coast Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. I informed him that he had misinterpreted my resignation.
All pastoral compensation has been withheld since October by Bishop Bells instructions.
Pastor Herbert Winston, White Rose COGIC
October 10, 2023, Pastor Herbert Winston, mailed a letter to Bishop Destry Bell, informing him that he was resigning my position from the Texas Gulf Coast Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. He was the Chairman of the jurisdictional Pastors and Elders Council. This letter was like the letters sent to Bishop Bell by nine (9) other pastors.
On October 12, 2023, he received an email from Bishop Bell stating that he accepted his resignation, and he was taking over as pastor of White Rose COGIC.
On October 18, 2023, he sent Bishop Bell a letter stating I had not resigned as Pastor of White Rose Church of God in Christ; I resigned as Chairman of the Jurisdictional Pastors and Elders Council. This letter was returned on November 30th because the wrong address had been placed on it. I corrected my error and mailed it again, I wanted to clarify what I thought was just a misunderstanding.
Because of a number of floods and storms, in the coastal city of Port Arthur, our current church is in a state of disrepair. After being inspected by the city of Port Arthur it was deemed unsafe and we are not allowed to use it. The city has offered to buy our property for approximately $60,000.00.
Because of this, they are sharing services with Barnett Chapel, another COGIC church in Port Arthur affiliated with Bishop Tate. They share preaching duties and use separate offering plates for Barnett Chapel and White Rose.
On Sunday, October 22nd Bishop Bell contacted the members of White Rose and told them he had resigned as pastor and that he was now the pastor of the church. I called the members to reassure them that I was still the pastor. I was told Bishop Bell stated they did not have to pay tithes since we are not in our building. The only reason we are not in our building is because the city of Port Arthur has condemned it.