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Bernice King Says ‘New Birth Was For a Season’, Will Start New Ministry

Rev. Bernice King was interviewed on Atlanta’s Praise 102.5 with host Rhodell Lewis on Tuesday. The interview was a bit disappointing as the station played more music than the interview but we received what most of you want to know about her leaving New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

Firstly, she announced that she wanted everyone to trust what she will be saying and to ‘take her word’ for what she would state. She said she chose this forum because for 8 months she has been on this show with Praise 102.5′s Rhodell Lewis and she trust its audience.

Bernice King stated she has plans for a future in ministry. She was an elder at Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga for 8 years and 8 months. She made note that the number “8″ means something in her life- whatever that may be. She states she was an elder of the church and a member. She reiterates that her only extent as an elder of the church was that she preached and did announcements at the church.

Bernice King told Lewis in the interview that she did not step down or resign. She says she was only a member of the church and was never employed for the church. She made a point that she ‘didn’t step down because she never stepped up’ from anything. She added she did not become a minister at New Birth church.  Bernice King has been an ordained minister for several years before she came to Bishop Long’s church.

Her stay as a member of New Birth was ‘only for a season’ as she stated her tenure there was much longer than expected. In 2005, MLK’s daughter, Bernice says God spoke to her about her calling but the illness and then death of both her mother Coretta Scott King and sister Yolanda King did not allow her to move forward in her calling from God in ministry.

Some time after her sister’s death, she was reminded again by God about her calling but the legal issues at New Birth involving her ‘brother’ she calls Bishop Long, again caused a delay in her plans. One last time, she was faced with her decision to accept the presidency of the SCLC organization, which she ultimately declined the offer.

At that time she knew it was time to move into her plans for ministry which she states will not be called a church at this time. She went to Bishop Long to discuss her plans and in April to ‘follow the voice of God.’ She stated to him: “I have to leave because of my assignment that God has for my life… there is a ‘pastoral calling on her life” and this is the timing for such a move. She says she didn’t just leave New Birth with a one day notice but that she gave a time frame for when she planned to leave which was Sunday, May 29th.

Bernice King will launch a ministry stating, “What God is showing me doesn’t look like what people are accustomed to.” Now that she is no longer ‘fighting the mandate on her life’,  in the coming months she will equip ‘kings for the kingdom’.

She thanks Bishop Long and the New Birth Church as it has been a blessing.

Bernice King is a guest speaker on the ‘Raising the Standard’ segment on Tuesdays at Praise 102.5 radio.

Listen to  interview here at MyPraiseATL.com