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Bishop Parnell M. Lovelace, Jr. serves as the founding and Senior Pastor of the Center of Praise Ministries of Sacramento, California.
He is described as an apostolic strategist, communicator, teacher, thinker, and progressive leader. He possesses a passion towards ministering the Word of God in a clear, provocative, and revelatory manner that is well received by all generations and cultural groups. The merging of his spiritual journey, and that of social science, has served to facilitate a ministry that reaches and embraces the disenfranchised, the poor, the youth, the elderly, and the marginalized.
He was nurtured by godly parents and received his early spiritual training at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church, Sacramento, California. He confessed Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and was baptized in May 1970 by his father in the Gospel, Pastor Willie P. Cooke.
Bishop Lovelace has been blessed to receive lifelong spiritual and academic mentorship through godly men and women; all of whom have marked his life with excellent tutelage and impartation.
He has experienced an expansive people-serving orientation over the past three decades; including the following:
The Bishop continues to be a sought after voice and counsel within the church and civic community. He has been the recipient of various awards, commendations, and recognitions. He has sought to excel academically and professionally by completing requirements that have earned him the following:
He is a published contributing author with the Great Commission Research Journal; an academic journal devoted to research and scholarly thinking on the perspective of church growth. He is fellow (Class XV) with the American Leadership Forum, Mountain Valley Chapter. He serves a standing member of the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board and as Past Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services, Sacramento, California. He is the current Vice President of the Board for Global Outreach and Community Development, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also serves as the co-pastoral chair of the 2012 Luis Palau Sacramento Festival.
He is married to the love of his life, Dianna L. (Richardson) Lovelace of East Palo Alto, California. They are the parents of one son and care for their niece.
It is the privilege of our visionary leader to serve all; proclaiming Redemption, Justice, and Empowerment.