Bishop Paul Crites

Bishop Crites is a former community council member of East Lake, Florida, and was given the Outstanding Citizenship Award by that community as well as the prestigious President’s Award from the Upper Pinellas Youth Sports Association in Pinellas County, Florida.  He was recognized for his international service while serving at the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, D.C., for his work with the nation of South Africa by then Ambassador Dr. Piet Koornhof. On two occasions, Bishop Crites was invited and traveled to Israel and the Middle East as a part of a delegation of American Leaders for Middle East Peace.

Bishop Crites earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, and a Master of Theology degree and Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Seminary of Florida. He received his PhD in Philosophy from Logos Graduate School in Jacksonville, Florida.

Bishop Crites established Purpose International in 1991 with a mission to preach & demonstrate the gospel of the Kingdom to the nations through education and humanitarian relief. Not long after, he created a successful mentoring program for leaders which gained the recognition of the Independent Colleges and Universities of the state of Florida. The ICUF granted Bishop Crites license to degree the first 21 graduates of his program and Destiny Christian College was founded . Bishop Crites became the college’s first president and Chancellor. Today Destiny Christian College & University has developed into campuses in the USA and the Bahamas offering degrees in Leadership, Counseling, Management and Theology. 

Bishop Crites began to see a great need for spiritual fathering to those being trained and credentialed into ministry and public service. After 25 years of relationship building & church planting, Bishop Crites placed an apostolic network structure in order and hosted the first Covenant Reconciliation Network Conference in Tampa, Florida. Since it's inception in 2004, a growing number of pastors, ministers & leaders have placed their mininstries under the leadership and covering of Bishop Crites.  Presently, many churches and ministries are affiliated with The Covenant Reconciliation Network in the United States with expansion in many other nations around the globe. 

As author of “Discovering the Power of Purpose” and “A Weapon Called Time”, Bishop Paul Crites speaks and ministers 200 times each year in conferences, churches, colleges and business corporations.

Bishop Paul Crites is also honored to be under the covering of the Vineyard Harvester Fellowship of Churches and the International Communion of Charismatic Churches (ICCC), an international organization representing over 4.2 million people with Presiding Bishop David Huskins.