BISHOP THEODORE L. BROOKS, SR.

Presiding Bishop

The honorable Bishop Theodore L. Brooks, Sr. serves as the Senior Pastor of Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church in New Haven, Connecticut, with his partner in life and in ministry, First Lady L. Janice Brooks. Bishop Brooks is also the Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (PAW, Inc.).

Bishop Brook is a life-long member of the PAW, Inc. He began his ministry career by supporting the local church under the guidance of his father, the late Bishop George Brooks, as an auxiliary leader and assistant pastor. He also supported the 20th Episcopal District (Connecticut District Council) in various leadership roles, including District Elder and then Suffragan Bishop.

As many great individuals do, Bishop wears many hats, serving not only the men and women of the congregation, but the community at large. Bishop Brooks is the President/CEO of Beulah Land Development Corporation (BLDC), founded in 1994 to create revitalized communities of choice in otherwise distressed neighborhoods via affordable housing, economic development, and job opportunities. Bishop Brooks also currently serves on numerous Board for many organizations in Connecticut, including the Yale-New Haven Health System Trustee Board; the Albertus Magnus College’s Trustee Board; the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology Board of Directors; the Community Advisory Board of Southern Connecticut State University; and Senator Chris Murphy’s Advisory Council. He was formally a member of the City of New Haven’s Board of Police Commissioners, Board of Fire Commissioners, Board of Directors for United Way of Greater New Haven, and the Board of Directors for the Greater New Haven Community Foundation. He is also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and International Association of Christian Clinical Counselors.

Bishop Brook was eventually elevated to the office of Diocesan Bishop of the Brazil District Council, where he served as spiritual leaders for over 100 churches throughout that country for 10 years before transferring oversight to his council of residence, the Connecticut District Council. He also serves on the Executive Bishops’ Council of the Board of Bishops. In August 2018, Bishop Brooks was elected Presiding Bishop of the PAW, Inc. and re-elected in 2022.

Bishop Brooks has authored several books including: Complete In God: the Apostolic Faith Challenge; In the Lion’s Den; A Servant’s Call; and A Call to Integrity; A Call to Christian Character; Challenges of the 21st Century Church, as well as Eschatology: What’s Next for the World? and A Servant’s Manual, released in Summer 2017.

Serving by his side is First Lady L. Janice Brooks—a powerhouse woman of prayer, anointing and wisdom! First Lady Brooks has served at Beulah Heights Church in various capacities for well over fifty years. She has served as an Usher, Choir Member, Junior Missionary Leader, Christian Education Teacher, and Woman’s Ministry Leader, and most importantly as confidant to her husband Bishop Theodore L. Brooks, Sr. First Lady Brooks has also served the Connecticut District Council as a member of the Missionary Auxiliary, and as President of the Ministers’ Wives Auxiliary.

In addition to the deeply impactful counseling that Bishop and Lady Brooks provide to church and community members, Lady Brooks has joined her husband on several occasions, and presented workshops and seminars across the country. Lady Brooks’ vision is to help anyone she can along the way and to allow the Spirit of God to help her to be all she can be for the Lord. Lady Brooks is a prayer warrior and intercessor, and encourages and uplifts all those with whom she interacts with a sweet and personable nature.

On April 30, 2016, Bishop and First Lady Brooks celebrated a monumental fifty years of marriage. Through the many trials, difficulties, successes and celebrations, Bishop and Lady Brooks have been adamant that it is the grace of God that has kept them. They attribute the enduring success of their marriage to, first and foremost, their individual dedication to God above all, and to each other. Through their sacred union, Bishop and First Lady Brooks were blessed with three sons (Theodore Jr., Harold, and Darrell); nine grandchildren (Jordan, Jocelyn, William, Theodore III, Chelsea, Lindsey, Paige, Ramiah, Darrell Joshua and the late Michael Brooks); and three great-grandchildren.