Charles A. Beaman, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, is the youngest of 13 siblings and has been preaching since the mid 60’s.  He grew up in the shadow of renowned civil rights attorney and minister, Fred Gray, and began preaching with the encouragement of Richard Rose and two mentors:  Andrew McCarter and K. K. Mitchell.  Charles was in training to become an airline pilot, and K. K. Mitchell encouraged him to enroll in Alabama Christian High School to study the Bible and recommended him for his first real preaching position.  After preaching for rural churches in Alabama as a high school and college student, Charles moved to Nashville to pursue a degree in ministry in 1972.   He preached in Columbia, TN for 17 years and began serving as minister at Fortieth Avenue in 1990.  More than two dozen ministries now exist for member involvement.  The church is now in the midst of a building program to create an educational complex, add a multipurpose fellowship hall, and improved access to the main auditorium along with improved technology for teaching.    

Charles is passionate about using active learning strategies in Bible classes that are developmentally appropriate for children, teenagers, and even adults.  He conducts workshops for churches that help teachers to learn ways to actively engage students in relevant and meaningful Bible study.  As an educational presenter, he has presented throughout the United States and abroad and integrates practices from his experiences with schools in Haiti, New Zealand, Finland, China and Germany.