Charlie Vincent, Jr. is serving his 34th year as minister of the Church of Christ at Kennedy Boulevard in Monticello, Arkansas.

Charlie met his young bride, Bennie Kay McCray, while preaching in the A.M.E. church. The couple married on December 24, 1975.

In 1977, Charlie and Bennie were introduced to the gospel of Christ through a series of televised bible lessons entitled, “Let The Bible Speak,” taught by the late Bro. Nokomis Yeldell of Memphis, Tennessee. Former minister and wife, the late Jim & Juanita Moore, of the Monticello Church of Christ was the couple’s modern day type of Aquila and Priscilla. They lovingly and gently took them aside and taught them more perfectly the will of God.

Pregnant with their firstborn son, Jeremy, Charlie and Bennie were baptized into Christ on June 4, 1977. They worshiped with the Monticello Church of Christ for more than a year. Because of racial barriers during the 70’s, they felt they would be more effective in the black community. The late Bro. Ealgie Gilbert, Sr. of the Eastside Church of Christ in Little Rock recommended a congregation in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, just twenty miles south of Monticello where the late Bro. Nathaniel Kidd was the minister. The couple moved their membership to the Westside Church of Christ in Fountain Hill, Arkansas.

For six years, Charlie, Bennie and Jeremy along with the late Bro. Autry Evans traveled to Fountain Hill to worship. During the summer of 1983, Bennie began an in-home bible class in the home of her parents, the late Leola McCray and the late James McCray. Shortly afterwards, the late Bro. M.C. Daniels of Houston, Texas conducted a gospel meeting at the Westside church and eight souls from this class would eventually be added to the Lord’s church, six during that meeting.

For the next five years, this number of traveling Christians and their families would grow to over thirty souls. As their numbers continued to increase, the decision to establish the church in their hometown of Monticello became a necessity. The first worship services for this group of young Christians were held on July 31, 1988 in Monticello, Arkansas in rented office spaces.

During this transition, Charlie and Bennie received wise counsel from the late Bro. Robert Waller of Warren, Arkansas and the late Bro. Johnnie Lawrence of Little Rock, Arkansas. They helped to nurture and guide them during infancy as leaders. Through much prayer, work, sacrifice and tribulation, the church has become a bright light in the Monticello community. Charlie and Bennie are humbled to be used by God to glorify Him in their lives and in His church.

In addition to ministering and serving the Lord’s church, the couple worked full-time. Charlie is now retired after working 30+ years with Union Pacific Railroad and continues to serve as a full-time minister. Bennie is also retired as a music teacher (27 years in Hampton, AR and 8 years in Monticello, AR). Both are graduates of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Charlie received the Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Speech Communication and Bennie received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. Above all achievements, both Charlie and Bennie hold their work as servants of Christ and His church first and foremost.

In their leisure time, Charlie enjoys traveling, reading, reading and more reading. Bennie enjoys reading, working with the youth, teaching in-home bible classes, vocal singing and sports (all sports).

They have three sons: Jeremy (wife, Stacie), Sam and Benjamin (deceased); four grandchildren: Ty, Manasseh, Isaiah and Abigail; and two great-grands: Karlie and Harper.