This Is The History of Breath of Life Ministries
Pastor and Singer Walter E. Arties III Founder of
Breath of Life Ministries
Elder C.D. Brooks
Speaker/Director – Breath of Life
Television Ministries Ministries-1974 to 1997
Walter L. Pearson, Jr
Pastor Pearson became the Speaker/Director
for Breath of Life in 1998 to 2010
Dr. Carlton P. Byrd
Served as the Speaker/Director
May 2010-July 2021 of Breath of Life TV Ministries
Pastor Debleaire K. Snell
In July 28,2021, Pastor Snell was appointed
Speaker/Director of Breath of Life Ministries
The Start Of Breath of Life Ministries
Breath of Life (BOL) Ministries was founded in 1974 by Walter Arties to provide uplifting Christian programming for the African-American community during a time of social unrest. Starting with C.D. Brooks as the first speaker, the ministry has since been led by several others, including Walter L. Pearson, Jr., Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, and most recently, Debleaire Snell. The ministry, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, continues to expand its reach through media, music, and evangelism to spread a message of hope and salvation.
Key milestones
- 1974: Breath of Life Ministries was founded by pastor and musician Walter Arties, who envisioned a program to appeal to African Americans. It began broadcasting, with C.D. Brooks as the first speaker.
- 1975: The ministry piloted a successful strategy of combining local broadcasts with on-the-ground evangelism in Detroit, Michigan.
- 11992: C.D. Brooks was the Speaker and Director of the Breath of Life Ministries which was held at The Washington State Convention Center downtown Seattle Washinghton
- 1997: Walter L. Pearson, Jr. became the Speaker/Director, continuing the legacy and broadening the ministry’s audience.
- 2010: Dr. Carlton P. Byrd took over as the Speaker/Director, expanding the vision and reach of the ministry.
- 2014: The ministry celebrated its 40th anniversary, honoring its founder Walter Arties and past speaker-directors.
- 2021: Debleaire Snell was voted in as the new Speaker/Director for Breath of Life Television Ministries.
- 2024: The ministry celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special event at the Oakwood University Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Mission and impact
- Origin: The vision was born out of the social and racial unrest of the 1960s, aiming to fill a gap in relevant, uplifting programming for the Black community.
- Purpose: To bring a “breath of life” to the oppressed and disenfranchised through the message of hope and salvation.
- Activities: The ministry uses media, music, and evangelism to share its message. It also produces content that addresses relevant issues in health, work, spirituality, and relationships.
- Impact: Over the years, BOL has resulted in tens of thousands of baptisms and the establishment of more than 28 churches worldwide.
- History of Breath of Life SDA Ministries
Breath of Life Ministries is a Seventh-day Adventist media ministry founded in 1974 to create uplifting Christian programming for the African American community. The ministry combines television broadcasting with evangelistic campaigns and has since expanded its reach globally through digital platforms.
Key figures and evolution of the ministry
Founder: Walter Arties (1974)
- As a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, recording artist, and musician, Arties conceived the vision for the ministry during the social and racial unrest of the 1960s.
- He championed the idea to fill a need for high-quality, Black-oriented religious programming and produced an initial pilot in 1973.
- Arties served as the program’s producer and sang with the Breath of Life Quartet.
First Speaker/Director: Charles D. Brooks (1974–1997)
- Brooks, a well-known Adventist evangelist, became the featured speaker for the ministry’s first 23 years.
- Under his leadership, Breath of Life developed a successful model of combining local television broadcasts with on-the-ground evangelistic meetings.
- This approach led to thousands of baptisms and the establishment of more than a dozen new Seventh-day Adventist congregations, often named “Breath of Life”.
Second Speaker/Director: Walter L. Pearson, Jr. (1998–2010)
- Pearson was selected to lead the ministry following Brooks’s retirement.
- He continued the ministry’s legacy, expanding its reach through national and international evangelistic campaigns.
- A major milestone was his role as the speaker for the North American Division’s satellite evangelism initiative, “Experience the Power,” in 2004, which was broadcast globally.
Third Speaker/Director: Carlton P. Byrd (2010–2021)
- Byrd took over as Speaker/Director in December 2010.
- He maintained the format of combining media with outreach and, in 2012, moved the taping location to the Oakwood University Church, where he also served as senior pastor.
- During his tenure, the ministry conducted major international evangelistic efforts, including a campaign in Tanzania that resulted in over 16,000 baptisms.
Current Speaker/Director: Debleaire Snell (2021–Present)
- The North American Division Adventist Media Ministries board appointed Debleaire Snell as the new Speaker/Director in July 2021.
- The weekly broadcasts continue to be filmed at the Oakwood University Church.
Key milestones
- 1974: Breath of Life Ministries launches its first broadcast with Walter Arties as producer and C.D. Brooks as the featured speaker.
- 1975: The ministry pilots its evangelistic strategy of combining local broadcasts with a public evangelistic campaign in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1983: A local congregation is officially established in Los Angeles, California, after a Breath of Life evangelistic series led by C.D. Brooks.
- 1998: Walter L. Pearson, Jr. begins his ministry as the second Speaker/Director.
- 2010: Carlton P. Byrd becomes the third Speaker/Director.
- 2012: Breath of Life Ministries moves its headquarters to the Oakwood University Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
- 2021: Debleaire Snell is named the fourth Speaker/Director.
- 2024: The ministry celebrates its 50th anniversary with a “Legacy Night” at the Oakwood University Church.