Rev. Daniel Bear, Pastor of Family Ministries

Daniel Stephen Bear was born in Des Moines, IA in 1979. He is the third child in a family of seven children.

He grew up in rural Iowa and attended Plano Christian Academy, a one-room Christian schoolhouse located in southern Iowa, during his elementary years. He was then home-schooled through Jr. High and High School.

Daniel’s parents were both self-employed and throughout the years hired a number of local people to work for them in the office and on the job-site. Four of these individuals came from one family and they had a younger sister named Rachel Elisabeth Alexander. Rachel visited the Bear home often as she was good friends with Daniel’s older sister. Daniel and Rachel became close friends while working at a summer camp and in 1997 their relationship developed a romantic interest. It was during this time that Daniel graduated from High School.

After graduation, he attended Grace University in Omaha, NE. He and Rachel continued their relationship and in June of 2000 they were united in marriage. After they were married, Daniel continued his studies and worked construction part time as a rough-framer, while Rachel taught at Cornerstone Christian School in Bellevue, NE. In 2002, Daniel graduated Magna Cum Laude from Grace with a BA in Pastoral Ministries.

After graduation, Daniel worked full-time in the construction trade while filling pulpits in various churches. In May, 2004, shortly after Rachel was awarded the Omaha World Herald Teacher of the Year award, God blessed Daniel and Rachel with their first child, Eden Joy. This led to Rachel stepping down from her position as a teacher and becoming a stay-at-home mom. In September, 2006, God again blessed Daniel and Rachel with another child, Alexander James.

Through the years following their wedding, Daniel and Rachel attended and became members of Community Bible Church. During their time at CBC, Daniel and Rachel taught Sunday School, served in AWANA, choir and the CBC nursery. Daniel also occasionally filled the pulpit and served on the Deacon Committee while Rachel served on the worship team and in the CBC Women’s Ministries. In July, 2005, Daniel joined the Community Bible Church staff.