Our Leadership
Rev. Mark D. Ribbins
Pastor
Rev. Mark David Ribbins
Pastor, Avon Avenue Baptist Church
Cleveland native Rev. Mark David Ribbins proud to serve as pastor of the Avon Avenue Baptist Church. The church is located in the same community where he worked for many years in the Christian bookstore that his family owned and operated for decades. Ribbins studied mass media communications at Cleveland State University, which led to a career in television, radio, and internet broadcasting, most notably with jazz radio station 107.3 FM, The Wave.
After answering his call to ministry in 1997, Rev. Ribbins returned to school and earned a Bachelor of Theology degree from Temple Bible College & Seminary. He has previously served Calvary Hill Baptist Church and Imani United Church of Christ as an associate minister and Evening Star Baptist Church as pastor. He is a member of the board of directors for both the McCreary Center for African American Religious Studies and the Hospice of the Western Reserve. Most recently, Rev. Ribbins joined the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic as a cancer education and outreach worker.
A diehard football fan and music lover, Rev. Ribbins’ greatest joy is found spending time with his wife Celeste and their daughter Julia.
Celeste Glasgow Ribbins
First Lady
Celeste Glasgow Ribbins was baptized into the Christian faith when she was five years old. Throughout her life she has served the Church as a teacher, ministry leader, and speaker. Celeste is the author of The Power of Mustard Plant Faith: Growing Beyond the Seed, which explores how growing our faith can lead to the transformation of our lives and communities.
Professionally, Celeste is a writer, workshop facilitator, coach, and certified diversity, equity, and inclusion professional. In 2017 she founded The Powershift Experience, a firm designed to inspire, motivate, and empower people and organizations to get un-stuck, powershifting their way into healthier and more productive mindsets, habits, and lifestyles to attain their next levels of success. She holds a master’s degree in psychology and her DEI certification from Cleveland State University as well as a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Rochester.
Associate Ministers
Rev. Kathy Wingo-Harris
Associate Minister
Avon Avenue Baptist Church
Rev. Terrance Harris
Associate Minister
Avon Avenue Baptist Church
Executive Team
Michele Smith Tyson
Trustee Board Chairman
Avon Avenue Baptist Church
Arthur Gaines
Deacon Board Chairman
Avon Avenue Baptist Church
