Meet Pastor James E. Bentley

In 1990, Pastor James E. Bentley was appointed Senior Pastor of Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church in the City of West Palm Beach Florida where he presently serves. He is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida and also the son of the late Mrs. Allie Mae Bentley and Mr. Hansell Bentley.

Prior to becoming the Senior Pastor at Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Bentley was one of several Associate Ministers at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Pompano Beach, Florida. During his tenure at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, he served as an instructor for the Baptist Training Union, the Young Adults and the Mission Circle #4. He is also a current member of the Disciple of Christ Evangelist Association.

Pastor Bentley received his early childhood education in the Palm Beach County public school system, and was a member of the 1966 graduating class of Roosevelt High School. He went on to further his education by attending Moody Bible College, Louisiana State University, Broward Community College and Palm Beach Junior College where he obtained Associate’s Degrees before completing his studies for a Bachelor Degree at Barry University. Pastor Bentley’s firm commitment to education is truly shown by his commitment to attending the Hampton University Ministers Conference in Hampton Virginia annually since 1985.

Through the blessing of the Lord and under the leadership of Pastor Bentley, Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church has flourished throughout the years. As a result of his tenacity and firm commitment to excel, he led the project to purchase a corner lot on 15th Street and Spruce Avenue and built a beautiful Church that serves as a catalyst for the neighborhood and a temple for worship and praise. In addition, the Church continues to purchase various properties within proximity of the Church in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood and provide safe and affordable housing. As part of the Pastor’s vision, the church is in the planning stages of building a Senior Citizen Complex and Community Center for the youth. The church currently provides various ministries and programs for the youth, young adults and elderly of the church. In addition, the church gives back to the community by providing a food pantry for the needy, Christmas toy give-a-ways, Back to School Bash, in conjunction with Genesis Community Outreach Inc., a not for profit organization that provides school supplies to children and college students. Under Genesis Community Outreach Inc, the church also owns and operates a Children’s’ Daycare Center.

Also, included in Pastor Bentley’s many accomplishments, he is a former employee of the Pompano Beach Fire Department where he retired as the Fire Chief after over 20 years of continuous service. During his tenure with the Fire Department, he was initially employed as a Firefighter and was promoted through the various ranks to the highest rank of Fire Chief, where he managed an organization of 198 employees with a budget of over 15 million dollars annually. He was a State of Florida Certified Firefighter and State of Florida Certified Emergency Medical Technician. Pastor Bentley was an active member of the Broward County Fire Chiefs Association, International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, Black Chief Officers Committee, Florida Fire Chiefs Association and International Association of Fire Chiefs. He also served as an adjunct instructor at the Executive Development Institute. Prior to becoming employed with the Fire Department, he worked for Burroughs Corporation and Pratt Whitney.

Pastor James E. Bentley is married to Glenice Bentley and a proud father of four daughters.