Rob Bell

Robert Holmes Bell Jr. (born August 23, 1970) is an American author, speaker and former pastor.

In February 1999, Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church, with the church originally meeting in a school gym in Wyoming, Michigan.

Within a year the church was given a shopping mall in Grandville, Michigan, and purchased the surrounding land.

In July 2000 the 3,500 "grey chair" facility opened its doors.

As of 2005, an estimated 11,000 people attended the two "gatherings" on Sundays at 9 and 11 AM.

In August 2005, Zondervan Publishing published Bell's first book, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, which is, according to the official online summary, "for the millions of people who are fascinated by Jesus, but can't do the standard Christian package. In his debut book, Bell explores a new understanding of the Christian faith."

Bell's Everything is Spiritual national speaking tour launched on June 30, 2006, in Chicago.

The proceeds from ticket sales were used to support WaterAid, an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation.

In the January 2007 issue of the magazine TheChurchReport.com, Bell was named No. 10 in its list of "The 50 Most Influential Christians in America" as chosen by their readers and online visitors.

Bell's second book, titled Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality, was released in 2007.

In June 2007, Bell toured the United Kingdom and Ireland with a series called Calling All Peacemakers.

Bell launched another speaking tour in 2007, —"The Gods Aren't Angry", which provided a narrative defense of justification through faith and not works.

The tour drew sold-out crowds in cities across North America.

Proceeds from this tour were used to support the Turame Microfinance program supporting the poor in Burundi, a mission supported by Bell's church.

Bell's 2009 project, Drops Like Stars, explores the links between creativity and suffering.

Drops Like Stars was an international tour and a book, initially handwritten by Bell, with photographs.

In 2011, Time named Bell on its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

He has since become a freelance writer and speaker appearing on various talk shows and national speaking tours on topics related to spirituality and leadership.

As of March 2011, Sunday attendance numbered between 8,000 and 10,000.

His teachings at Mars Hill inspired the popular "Love Wins" bumper sticker, and the congregation freely distributed these stickers after services.

In order to maintain balance in his life, Bell maintained his Fridays as a personal sabbath, where he did not allow contact by electronic means, and had all pastoral duties transferred to other Mars Hill pastors.

On September 22, 2011, Bell announced his resignation from Mars Hill Church to start "a spiritual talk show in Los Angeles".

Bell's 2011 book, Love Wins, had caused controversy within evangelical circles because of its teachings about hell; that controversy caused thousands to leave Mars Hill and also led to Bell's departure.

Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan, and pastored it until 2012.

Under his leadership, Mars Hill was one of the fastest-growing churches in America.

Bell is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Love Wins and the writer and narrator of a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA.

In July 2012, Bell held his first major event since leaving Mars Hill, speaking at the Viper Room night club in Los Angeles.

Bell has hosted conferences and workshops in Laguna Beach for "leaders, teachers, preachers, entrepreneurs, artists, pastors—anyone whose work involves creating something and then turning it loose in the world."

Bell was the featured speaker in NOOMA, a series of short films.

The title of the video series, "NOOMA", is an English representation of the Greek word pneuma, which means breath or spirit.

All the videos feature the teachings of Bell accompanied by music written and sung by local independent artists (with the exception of The Album Leaf's music, which was licensed for the NOOMA DVD Lump).

He also hosts a popular podcast called The Robcast. In 2018, a documentary about Bell called The Heretic was released.

Bell is the son of U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell, who was appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan.

After graduating from high school, Bell attended Wheaton College in Illinois.

While at Wheaton, he formed an alternative rock band and taught water skiing at a Christian camp.

At camp, he was asked to fill in as a replacement preacher.

Bell received his bachelor's degree from Wheaton and also earned a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Bell and his wife moved from California to Grand Rapids to be close to family and on invitation to study under pastor Ed Dobson.

He handled many of the preaching duties for the Saturday Night service at Calvary Church.

Bell announced that he would be branching out on his own to start a new kind of community and would name it "Mars Hill" after the Greek site where the apostle Paul said: "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."