Reverend Dr. Marvin Dewitt Hooks, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community of Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Hooks was appointed to this great congregational and historical Church by the late Bishop Roy Anderson Holmes in January 2013, and has received subsequent appointments to serve this historical congregation by Bishop Dennis Vernon Proctor.

 

Reverend Hooks attended the Rush Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Jamaica, New York as a child under the leadership of the late Reverend Dr. Eldridge Gittens.  He received the call to preach the gospel at a very young age, serving as Local Preacher at William M. Smith African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Charles Young.  It was while serving at William M. Smith A.M.E. Zion Church that Reverend Hooks gained a wealth of knowledge, experience and a deeper love to spread the gospel, which compelled him to pursue studies in Christian ministry.

 

In 1995, Reverend Dr. Marvin D. Hooks, Sr. was called to serve as an Associate Minister at St. Catherine African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church under the pastorate of Dr. Vernon A. Shannon. In 1997, Reverend Michael J. Rouse was appointed Pastor of the St. Catherine A.M. E. Zion Church and he presented Reverend Hooks with the challenge of developing a youth church.  Reverend Hooks humbly, and with much prayer, accepted the challenge and developed a thriving youth church that became a vital ministry for the young people of St. Catherine A.M.E. Zion Church and the New Rochelle community.

 

In 2000, at the seat of the 179th Annual Session of the New York Conference, Reverend Hooks was appointed by The Right Reverend George E. Battle, Jr., Presiding Prelate of the North Eastern Episcopal District, to serve as Pastor of the St. Mary African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Medford, New York.  From this undertaking, St. Mary experienced church growth and spiritual development as hundreds of people were converted and joined the ministry.  While serving at St. Mary, Reverend Hooks also developed a vibrant youth ministry, an effective outreach ministry, and initiated a host of other vital ministries fostering spiritual and temporal growth for the church and community.

 

At the 190th Annual Session of the New York Conference in 2011, Reverend Hooks was appointed by The Right Reverend George E. Battle, Jr. to the pastorate of the St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Spring Valley, New York.  Under his leadership, many souls came to Christ and St. Paul’s visibility in Rockland County and surrounding counties grew.  From 2011 to 2013, several ministries were developed into effective outreach.  Reverend Hooks became an active leader in the community as he advocated for the underserved classes while serving as a board member of a developing charter school and other organizational boards, which existed to better enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Rockland County.  

 

Dr. Marvin Dewitt Hooks, Sr. has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, a Master of Business Administration from Dowling College, and the Doctor of Education degree from Dowling College, and is currently researching and studying at Princeton Theological Seminary.