First Lady Beverly J. Dempsey

 Sis. Beverly Joyce Dempsey was born January 4, 1952 to the late Bishop Robert L. and First Lady Mable L. Pullen in Nashville, Tennessee.  She was the fourth of six children.  Her siblings include Dwight H. Pullen, Sr., Robbie Miles, the late Valerie Pullen, Sacara Deas, and Michelle Burt.

Sis. Dempsey spent her early childhood in Nashville, Tennessee attending elementary school in Nashville.  The Pullen family later moved to Peoria, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio and Meadville, Pennsylvania.  She was a 1970 graduate of Meadville Area Senior High School where she went on to train as a Nursing Assistant at the Spencer Hospital in Meadville and was later employed at Spencer Hospital.  She later attended Career Academy for Dental Assistants in Washington, DC and was a 1973 graduate of Career Academy.

In June of 1972 at a Tri-State Council in Cleveland, Ohio she met her husband, Pastor Larry Dempsey and they were united in holy matrimony on October 20, 1973 at the Allegheny College Chapel in Meadville, Pennsylvania.  The Dempsey’s resided in Washington, DC and to this union, three beautiful children were born.  David Lamont, Denjoli LaChelle, and Duan Laurent.  The Dempsey’s relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio in September 1975 and were members of the Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Church under the leadership of the late Bishop Elzie W. Young and the late Bishop Johnnie L. Johnson.

Sis. Dempsey has always had a passion for helping people from her early childhood and in 1996 following the loss of her mother, she enrolled in college at the Cincinnati Bible College (now known as Cincinnati Christian University) to pursue her degree in Psychology.  She is a 2001 graduate of Cincinnati Bible College where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology.  She continued on to Graduate School at Cincinnati Bible College and received her Master’s of Arts in Counseling Degree in May 2004.  She maintained status on the Dean’s list throughout her college career and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.  She was considered a non-traditional student in that she obtained her Bachelor’s degree at the age of 49 and her Master’s degree at 52.

Sis. Dempsey served as Director of Hope Ministries at Greater Bethlehem Temple Church under Bishop Johnnie L. Johnson and also directed the Hope Ministries Institute at the annual conventions of the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith.  Upon completion of her Master’s Degree she served as Executive Director of Lydia’s House, a non-profit organization that provided counseling and programs for families affected by Aids.

Sis. Dempsey is a wife, mother of three children and a grandmother of eleven.

The Lord has blessed her down through the years and she is now the First Lady of Hope for You Family Life and Worship Center.