Dr. D. W. Cummings, Chairmen

Dr. D. W. Cummings is the Pastor of the well-known Bethlehem Apostolic Temple in Wheeling, WV and Shiloh Apostolic Faith Assembly in Weirton, WV. Dr. Cummings was born in San Antonio, Texas to the late Bishop Claude and Sis. Faith Cummings of Cleveland, OH. He attended Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland State College, Internal Auditor Federal Reserve School, Moody Bible School. He also attended and graduated from the Ashtabula Bible School, where he received his Doctorate in Theology. He has also received degrees in Accounting, Business Law, and Real Estate Law. Licensed as a Minister at the age of sixteen (16), he had his first pastorate at the age of nineteen (19) Pastor Cummings founded Greater Love Pentecostal Church in Ashtabula, Ohio in 1980, and remained there for over a decade. He received laying on of hands at his ordination in Zanesville, Ohio by the late Bishop Morris E. Golder of Ind., IN.

On June 15, 1990, Dr. Cummings became the Pastor of Bethlehem Apostolic Temple. Dr. Cummings was installed as Pastor by the late Bishop F. L. Smith of Akron, Ohio in June of 1992. In April of 2002 he was elevated by Bishop Paul A. Bowers to District Elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Ohio District Council, District #8. In April 2004, Bishop Bowers placed him as the pastor of Shiloh Apostolic Faith Assembly, Weirton, WV.

Pastor Cummings has served as a leader and officer in the religious community, as well as the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World for over two decades. He is the former Vice-president of the Wheeling Clergy Council; the former Chairman of the Evangelism Committee for the Greater Wheeling Council of Churches; the former Chairman for the “Martin Luther King Community Celebration” for the Ohio Valley, former board member for over 10 years on the Wheeling Police Commission, formerly a member of the West Virginia Northern Community College Board of Governor’s for over 10 years and served 2 terms as President, formerly a member of the Ohio Valley Medical Center board for over 10 years; ending his term of service for the last 5 years as Secretary of the Board of Trustees. He has served for twenty-five years; and presently serves as the President of the Ohio Valley Pastor’s Association. In 1997 he was awarded one of the “Man of the Year” awards by the Wheeling NAACP.
In February 2003 he received an award as the “Civil Rights Leader of the Year” by the West Virginia Educators Association. He also was given the honor of serving as Chaplain for the West Virginia Legislature, in both the Senate and the House. He is on several boards including Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board, Youth Services Advisory Board of Wheeling, formerly served as the Chairman of the Trustees Board for 2 terms, and the West Virginia Health Care Authority Commission. He is a recipient of the “St. Francis Xavier Award” from the student government of Wheeling Jesuit University.

In August of 2006, Pastor Cummings was appointed Chairman of Human Rights Commission, by the governor of West Virginia. In 2009 he was awarded the “Man of the Year” award from the African American Heritage of the Ohio Valley Program. 2010 the Governor recognized Pastor Cummings as the distinguished person of the year. On May 9, 2016, Pastor Cummings received the United States Attorney’s Award for his work with the WV Human Rights Commission and community service from District Attorney General William J. Ihlenfeld, II. The Wheeling NAACP gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2018.

Pastor Cummings is the speaker for the “Voice in the Wilderness” radio and television broadcast. He writes weekly and monthly guest editorials for several major newspapers in the Ohio Valley. He serves in the Chaplain’s Department for two State Prisons, one Nursing Home and two hospitals.

Pastor Cummings’ has five children: Melanie Faith, Claude Vaughn, Richard William, Alexis LaShae’, and Savannah Lynn. He is married to the lovely Latisha Rae Cummings.