Dr. Rudolph W. McKissick, Jr., is Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, located in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to Pastoring in Jacksonville, Dr. McKissick pastured in Virginia and Ohio. He shares the Senior Pastor role at Bethel along with his father Rev. Rudolph McKissick, Sr.

Since his return to Bethel in 1995, over 9,000 thousand souls have been added to the ministry, bringing the active discipleship to over 12,000. McKissick is uniquely gifted at blending styles of worship from the very contemporary and urban down to the traditional without sacrificing one for the other. It has resulted in a church that is built around a unique diversity of persons from various age groups and cultures who all gather together in celebrative worship.

Under Dr. McKissick, Jr.’s pastoral leadership and vision, several buildings have been purchased for the expansion needs of the ministry. These include a hotel and conference center, which was transformed into the Bethelite Christian Conference Center. The Conference Center consists of over two hundred and fifty sleeping rooms, inclusive of a 1900 sq ft Presidential Suite, 2 Jr Suites and 25 Parlor Suites; a ballroom; several smaller meeting rooms; a full service restaurant, as well as a club that is being reopened as a Christian club called CLUB 3:16. In addition to the Conference Center, the church has purchased buildings to house the youth ministry and another to house the children’s ministry. Also under his leadership has been the birth of the Bethelite Christian Bookstore and Gift Shop and a Fine Arts School. The foundation was laid for numerous ministries which includes: Joshua’s Generation Young Adult and College Ministry, karate for youth, the local weekly Sunday morning television broadcast in addition to the nationwide broadcast on the Word Network; local radio broadcasts; a 24 hr internet radio station; a 24 hr internet television station; and the expansion of the Music Ministry to the Worship and Fine Arts Ministry including the BBIC Praise Dancers, BBIC Praise Team, BBIC Mimes, Tribe of Judah Steppers and the nationally acclaimed Word and Worship Mass Choir. The musical blessing and vision of Pastor McKissick, Jr., has resulted in the production of four Word and Worship CDs that have received both local and national critical acclaim, with the project entitled, “The Right Place” debuting at No.5 on the Billboard charts.

In addition to his musical talents, first and foremost, he is a powerful messenger of God who has established himself nationally as an outstanding preacher and teacher. He has been noted in The African American Pulpit as one of the “Twenty to Watch” and has had sermons published in several books and publications. The favor of God has afforded Dr. McKissick opportunities to minister in various national settings.

Dr. McKissick serves as a Doctoral Mentor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. In this role Dr. McKissick serves as focus group mentor for a group of students who are working towards their Doctor of Ministry degree and will become McKissick Fellows upon graduation. He also serves on several boards: National board member-National Action Network, founded by Rev. Al Sharpton; Jacksonville Community Council Incorporated; and the board of the African American Pulpit Magazine.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Jacksonville University with a double major in the field of music: one in Opera and the other in Sacred Church Music, with a minor in pipe organ performance. He holds the Master of Divinity Degree from the Samuel Proctor School of Religion at Virginia Union University, and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary. Dr. McKissick was awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Bethune Cookman College. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., as well as Sigma Pi Phi Boule.

He is married to the former Kimberly Joy Nichols and they are the proud parents of three beautiful children; Jocelyn, Janai and Joshua.