Our Bishop

IraEMPLOYMENT
Bishop Ira Combs, Jr., D.D., is currently the Founder & Pastor of the Greater Bible Way Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith in Jackson, Michigan; the Founder & Executive Director of Christ Centered Homes, Inc.; and President & Chairman of IRCO Housing Development, Inc. in Jackson, Michigan.  Bishop Combs has held career positions with Xerox Corporation in Lansing, Michigan, National City Bank in Lansing, Michigan, Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan and American Building Maintenance in Detroit, Michigan.  Between 1985-1986, Primerica Insurance Company promoted Bishop Combs to District Manager after serving as the number one insurance sales leader in his region.

EDUCATION
In 2006, Bishop Combs received Honorary Doctorate of Theology and Divinity degrees from St. Thomas Christian College (Jacksonville, Florida) and from Grace Bible College (Louisville, Kentucky).  In 2003, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Aenon Bible College of Indianapolis, Indiana.  In 1999, Bishop Combs received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Aenon Bible College for his published work entitled “The Era of Apostolic Excellence – A Chronology of the Teachings of Bishop R.P. Paddock”.  In 1991, he received a Bachelor’s of Theology degree from Indiana Bible College and studied finance at Oxford University in Oxford, England in 1995.  Bishop Combs attended East Lansing High School and was a participant in the Upward Bound College Prep Program from 1973-1976. He then matriculated to Michigan State University where he studied business marketing  for three and one-half years ( 1976-1979).

HONORS & ACTIVITIES
Bishop Combs, representing Working Families for Wal-Mart, had regular appearances in December 2005 and January 2006 on CNBC’s “On the Money” segments with business day anchor, Dylan Ratigan, Bishop Combs was featured on the cover and as lead story in the May 2000 Jackson Magazine. He was included in the 1997-98 American Directory of “Who’s Who in Executive and Business”; the 1994 International “Who’s Who of Professionals in America”; the 1992-93 Marquis “Who’s Who in Religion”; and the 1990, 1992-93 Marquis “Who’s Who in the Midwest.  In 1995, Bishop Combs received the YMCA Manny Fields Community Service Award and was elected in 1982 by the National Jaycees as “Outstanding Young Man of America”.  He also received Michigan State University National Pan Hellenic “Outstanding Chairman” gavel award in 1977-79.

ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
While at Michigan State University (M.S.U.), Bishop Combs was the Founder & President of the National Pan Hellenic Council.  He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Sigma Chapter, the A.S.M.S.U. Policy Committee, the Student Media Appropriation Board and a member of a $17,000,000 Fund Raising Committee for the Delores Wharton Performing Arts Center.   In addition, Bishop Combs served as a Student Advisory Group representative from the National Pan Hellenic Council under the Edgar L. Hardin Administration (M.S.U. President).

ECCLESIASTICAL LEADERSHIP
Bishop Combs is a licensed and ordained minister carrying the title Bishop with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (P.A.W.) – the oldest and second largest Pentecostal organization in the world.  He was elevated to the office of Bishop in August 2010 and serves as a member of the Northern District Council Bishops Advisory Board. He served as Vice Chairman of the P.A.W. Northern District Council overseeing 120 churches throughout Michigan and Canada from 1998-2001.  He is also a writer for the P.A.W. Christian Outlook Magazine – the official
publication of the organization.  Bishop Combs is the Ministerial Counselor for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and is an Advisory Board member for the Christian Action Network in St. Louis, Missouri (National Advisory Committee).  Bishop Combs currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Aenon Bible College in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he serves as Director of Finance and Appropriations.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
With regard to community service, Bishop Combs is a former member of the Board of Directors for Choices for Children, founded by Betsy and Dick DeVos.  He is also a former Chairman of the Community Service Committee of the Jackson Rotary Club/Rotary Foundation. Bishop Combs serves as co-sponsor along with Congressman Nick Smith, of President Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative in Michigan and hosts the annual Michigan Faith-Based Summit. He has served on the Advisory Board of Starr Commonwealth in Albion, Michigan, is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, and previously served as Chairman of the Jackson Chapter NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Committee, which raised $22,000 in contributions in less than six months.  In 1996, Bishop Combs was a Jackson City Police Reserve officer and now serves as the Jackson City Police and County Sheriff Chaplain. 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & LEADERSHIP
Bishop Combs has been elected to serve on numerous professional boards and committees.  Bishop Combs is a member of the American Federal Credit Union Board of Directors ($120 million Credit Union/tri-county area). In January 2010, Bishop Combs was elected to serve on the Presbyterian Villages Springbrook Meadows Board of Directors. In March 2008, he was awarded the Academy of Certified Master Chaplain, ACMC-III, designation by the American Psychotherapy Association. He has served two terms as a member of the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board by former Michigan Governor John Engler.  He was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court and served two three-year terms on the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board. He was also appointed by former Jackson Mayor Betty Granger to serve as Human Relations Commissioner on the Jackson City Human Relations Commission (Ex-Officio).  He was the first local chairman appointee of the Michigan Leadership Conference (Detroit) by State President and Founder, Joseph E. Madison. In addition, he has served on the Jackson-Hillsdale Community Mental Health’s Committee to Develop Fee for Service Contracts, as Chairman of the Jackson-Hillsdale Community Mental Health Problem Solving and Solution Committee, and as Chairman and Organizer of the Jackson Chapter Ad-Hoc Coalition on Fair Banking Practices.  From 1991-92, Bishop Combs served as the President of the Michigan Housing Coalition C.R.A. Network.  He served as a representative of the National Working Families for Wal-Mart along with former Ambassador Andrew Young and has been a regular commentator on CNBC television for the retailer.

POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS & LEADERSHIP
Bishop Combs has served as Vice-Chair of Outreach for the Michigan Republican Party. He is Chairman of the Recruitment Committee of the Jackson Republican Party and serves as State Delegate for the Michigan Republican Party.  He also served as Co-chair of the Jackson Area Committee to Re-Elect George W. Bush. Under the auspices of Michigan Governor John Engler, Bishop Combs served on the National Exploratory Presidential Committee and became a Michigan Team Leader for the Presidential Campaign of President George W. Bush.  He was appointed by the Honorable Congressman J.C. Watts to serve as a Steering Committee member of President George W. Bush’s “Faith Based Initiative.”  He was also nominated by the Honorable Congressman Nick Smith to be the Michigan Representative for President George W. Bush’s Faith Based Initiative.  Bishop Combs was a member of Governor John Engler’s Clergy Commission and Senator Philip Hoffman’s Cabinet Club, Congressman Nick Smith’s Cabinet Club and the Executive Committee of the Jackson Republican Party.  In 2000, he received the Republican National Committee (RNC) “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and was appointed to the RNC as representative of African-American issues in 2004.