United Covenant Churches of Christ
World Apostolic Offices – Brooklyn, New York
United States of America

Bishop Eric D. Garnes (aka Dr. Garnes) received Christ at the young age of eleven. Growing up in a Christian home he learned how to worship and praise God. He is the living epitome of the scripture, “Train up the child in the way he should go so when he is old he will not depart.” Proverbs 22:6

Dr. Garnes completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Arts at the College of New Rochelle, New York Theological Seminary Division. Bishop Garnes completed two graduate studies programs with a Masters of Divinity Degree from the International Theological Seminary, and a second discipline with a Masters in Professional Studies degree with a concentration in Urban Theology & Leadership from Alliance Theological Seminary. Bishop Garnes earned his Doctorate of Ministry degree from Drew University and completed his academic requirements as a “Hilliard Fellow” designed to develop special academicians and scholars in church renewal. Presently, Bishop Garnes is an Adjunct Professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in the Graduate School of Nyack College.

Dr. Garnes is a visionary who has achieved a number of goals as an advocate for education. He is a graduate of the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services where he received the Thomas M. Quinn Outstanding Achievement Award and became a Licensed Funeral Director in the State of New York; he is also a Certified Bereavement Counselor. Dr. Garnes works with his family as the Corporate Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Board member of the Frank R. Bell Funeral Home, Inc. where they inter more than 600 persons annually. Dr. Garnes is honored to have been the recipient of numerous other awards including the James Madison Scholastic Award for Professionalism and Communication Enrichment and of the City of New York Community Developers Award.  As an entrepreneur of several businesses, Bishop Garnes is also a Certified John Maxwell Life Coach and he is CEO of Faith Wercs and Red Guerilla Productions, LLCs and associate producer of the movie Restored Me.

Dr. Garnes is the Presiding Bishop and General Overseer of the United Covenant Churches of Christ whose churches are comprised of more than 20,000 members globally. The movement exists to build an innovative ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse organization through which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. It seeks to promote the growth of local churches and to create a resourceful and meaningful networking environment for pastors. Further, under Bishop Garnes’ leadership, it emphasizes the need for and importance of theological and secular academics. UCCC is designing programs to foster higher learning in order to cultivate well-rounded clerical leadership world-wide. Finally, and most importantly, Bishop Garnes’ vision is to develop “oneness” in the body of Christ based on biblically sound teaching and the principles and culture of God.

Locally, Bishop Garnes serves as an official member of the Community Board 17 delegates and is a Police/Clergy Liaison for the 67th Precinct of the NYPD. Nationally and abroad he is an Executive Board Member of T.D. Jakes’ PHIPA (Pastoral Alliance); Bishop Garnes is the Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Joint College of African-American Bishops with his father in the Gospel, Archbishop-Metropolitan J. Delano Ellis, II; and he is the Episcopal Consultant to the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship & Cathedral Assemblies, Inc. and the Christian Ecumenical Covenant Fellowship, Inc.

This anointed man of God is the Senior Pastor of Tabernacle of Praise (Cathedral), located in Brooklyn, New York – a church where the Spirit of God fills the temple and it is growing by leaps and bounds. His goal and aspiration is to change the face of Utica Avenue, transforming it into an earthly empyrean. They own multiple properties in the community and currently building a 1,200 seater multipurpose facility in the great city of Brooklyn.  Bishop Garnes is married to a virtuous woman in the Lord, Lady Delicia Garnes, Ph.D. Lady Garnes assists him diligently in the uplifting of the ministry as the Church Administrator and is an Associate Dean of Information Technology at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University. Bishop and Lady Garnes are the proud parents of two children, son Darian Daniel Rene Garnes and daughter, Bryanna A’Delicia Garnes.