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Bishop Hollister
Curtis Douglas
Pastor, presiding bishop, church planter, missionary leader, author, composer and gospel recording artist, with more than 45 years in ministry.
His Story
A life given to the Church — and to those who lead it.
Bishop H. Curtis Douglas has served in ministry for more than forty-five years. He grew up through the life of the local church and served in many areas of it before becoming a senior pastor. Those years shaped how he leads today: he does not ask anyone to carry a responsibility he hasn’t carried himself.
In 1998 he founded Dabar Worship Center in Brooklyn, New York, which grew into Dabar Ministries. The name comes from the Hebrew dabar, meaning “word,” “speech” or “matter.” It reflects the conviction at the centre of his ministry: God’s Word changes the people who receive it.
In October 2007 he was consecrated to the bishopric by Bishop Donald Hilliard Jr., then presiding bishop of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies. The consecration placed him in a wider episcopal and ecumenical family. He has since served as a co-consecrator for other bishops, including Bishop Daniel J. Richardson in 2012.
On October 2, 2010, Dabar Worship Center and Bethlehem Missionary Church were joined, or “engrafted,” into one congregation: Dabar Bethlehem Cathedral in Queens Village. Bishop Douglas became its senior pastor. Overseer Stanley Kidd and Pastor Lenore Kidd were honoured as pastors emeriti, so the history of Bethlehem Missionary Church carried on in the new congregation.
After several years as General Treasurer of the fellowship, Bishop Douglas was elevated in June 2017 to presiding leadership, succeeding its founder, Bishop Hilliard. The fellowship is now known as Covenant Fellowship Alliance, and Bishop Hilliard remains its presiding bishop emeritus.
A pastor to pastors
Much of Bishop Douglas’s ministry is aimed at the people who lead churches. Through the Draw From the Well conference, the mentorship structure of CFA, and his teaching on leadership, he gives clergy practical instruction, fellowship and a confidential place to be honest. He also has a particular burden for men, and challenges them to take up their spiritual, family and community responsibilities.
Education
Bishop Douglas is a graduate of Pillar College in New Jersey. His teaching covers preaching, Bible study, ecclesiastical history and church development, including an extended series on Christian history and the twenty-first-century church.
“There is a cause.”Episcopal motto · 1 Samuel 17:29
His episcopal arms join the cross, the open Word, the lyre of praise and the scales of justice. A sword runs through all four, held between the crozier and the keys.
Timeline
Milestones of a faithful ministry
- 1988
Marriage to Yolanda
Bishop Douglas marries Yolanda Douglas, his partner in life and ministry.
- 1998
Dabar Worship Center founded
A new work begins in Brooklyn, New York, and grows into Dabar Ministries.
- 2007
Consecrated a bishop
Consecrated to the bishopric in October by Bishop Donald Hilliard Jr. of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies.
- 2010
Draw From the Well launched
The first annual leadership conference for senior pastors, pastoral spouses and church leaders.
- Oct 2, 2010
Dabar Bethlehem Cathedral formed
Dabar Worship Center and Bethlehem Missionary Church are engrafted into one congregation in Queens Village.
- 2012
Scriptures in Song
His first major recording, a 14-track project that sets Scripture to music.
- 2017
Presiding Prelate
Elevated on June 23 to presiding leadership of the fellowship now known as Covenant Fellowship Alliance.
- 2018
Amazing Things (Live)
A live album with the Dabar Bethlehem Cathedral Choir, recorded in New York City. The single “Great God” follows.
- 2025
Up Your Game
A leadership book for pastors and developing leaders, published in paperback and on Kindle.
Family
A husband and father first.
Bishop Douglas has been married to Yolanda Douglas since 1988. They have four children: Courtney (married to LaQuan), Johanna, Rebekah and Jonathan.
Family is part of his ministry too. Rebekah and Jonathan sing on “That’s Who Jesus Is” from Scriptures in Song, and his own biography sums him up in three words: leader, musician, father.
Ecclesiastical Identity
Rooted, Spirit-filled, sent.
Evangelical
He proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Pentecostal
Charismatic in worship and spiritual expression.
Episcopal
Ministry is governed and overseen through bishops, with covenant accountability.
Interdenominational
He leads a fellowship built on interdependence, not denominational control.
Missional
Mission teams have served across the Caribbean, the Americas, Africa and Europe.
Leadership-forming
He is committed to forming pastors through mentorship and training.