Pastor Eartherline Downs is no stranger to the Greater Kansas City area, born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended school and graduated from Westport High School in 1971. She continued her education at Penn Valley where she received an Associates of Art Degree. She returned to college and graduated from Faith Bible College in 2006 with a Ph.D. in Christian Education. While serving as a volunteer instructor since 2005, she also completed her Ph.D. in Pastoral Theology and graduated in May, 2014.
She has worked for various government agencies for many years. The call of the Lord for her began as she served in various ministries from 1975 – 1997 under the leadership of her father and founder, Pastor, Rev. Charles D. Bell, Sr. Those ministries included administrative, teaching, preaching, youth leadership, prison ministry, community outreach, Christian advisement and sick and shut-in visitation. After the failing health of Rev Charles Bell Sr., the late Rev. Clifford Bell became her Pastor and she served as the Executive Pastor for 17 years.
In September, 1979 she became the wife of Dr. William J. Downs, from whence two beautiful daughters were born, Pearline and Pamela. During this marriage, she also has been blessed with one son, two grandsons and one granddaughter. She also has one precious grandson who is awaiting us in heaven.
Pastor Downs’ other accomplishments are Director of the Community Praise Career Center, which reached out to homeless and ex-felon men and women and their families, Director of Touch of Joy, another outreach ministry of CPWWOC, which ministered at shelters and transitional homes using Empowerment Sessions.
She began prison ministry at Municipal Correctional Institute at Leeds in Kansas City, Missouri in 1994 and still continues to serve at their new location at 1300 Cherry, K.C., MO. She was a Mentor with Connections to Success (Prisoner Re-entry Program) in 2004 and served as Mentor Coordinator with the organization until 2011. She also served as a Board Member of Genesis Promise Academy.
She now serves as Senior Pastor since 2014 at Community Praise Worship & World Outreach Center. She also co-hosts a weekly radio program called “Keepin It Real” on KPRT 1590am/106.1fm.
Above all she loves the Lord and has been a Christian since 1965 and enjoys empowering others to live the abundant life that God intends for his children to live.