Bernard W

Bernard W. Schnippert named
church legal counsel

PASADENA—Bernard W. Schnippert, 56, was named general counsel of the church and its related entities in February, replacing Ralph Helge, who retired.

Schnippert served as a field minister and pastor, most recently in Las Vegas, Nevada, until 1987, then as director of Media Operations for the church from 1987 to 1995. He has served as church treasurer since 1985, and in that position supervised the team that sold the church headquarters property, set up the church’s pension plan, and oversaw the implementation of the new, decentralized financial model by Ron Kelly, who worked for Schnippert as the church’s controller.

Schnippert began attending the WCG at age 11 with his parents, Bernard F. and Irene Schnippert (now both deceased), and sister, in the early 1960s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He enrolled at Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1967 and graduated in 1971. The summer after graduation he married Arlene Pratt, also a 1971 graduate. After working in the Personal Correspondence Department for one year, he and his wife moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he was a ministerial trainee. He was ordained in 1973.

After a period of convalescence from a chronic illness, partly during which he worked as an assistant to a former church executive on doctrinal matters, Schnippert was assigned to pastor the Las Vegas church. While serving as pastor in Las Vegas and writing for church publications, he obtained a law degree.

After moving to Pasadena and becoming director of Media Operations, he passed the California Bar exam and became a licensed attorney. Subsequently, while director of Media Operations, Schnippert obtained a Ph.D. in management and administration, with an emphasis on motivation.

Schnippert hopes and believes his varied and broad experience with the church as an employee of about 35 years as a field minister, church pastor and church executive and manager—along with his professional credentials and advanced degrees—will be of benefit to the church in his new position in the Legal Department. He looks forward to serving the church and its members and ministers in this capacity.

Bernie and Arlene Schnippert have three daughters, two of whom are married, and three grandchildren, including one set of twins.