Biography
Stephen Bell grew up within a Christian home in North Little Rock, AR. Although he
attended Church regularly and had great role models around him, he spent most of his
high school days chasing his own desires and into college where he attended the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock on a golf scholarship. At the age of 20, he was greatly
impacted by life circumstances. During this time, his prayers started to focus on
who God was calling him to be instead of who he wanted to be. It became apparent that
God was calling him to the helping profession so he could impact marriages, families,
and the broader community.
After graduate school, Dr. Bell began his teaching career at College of the Ozarks
where he and his wife (Tracy) created and implemented a Family Studies Program. The
Family Studies Program grew in size to be one of the top 5 programs at the college.
In 2014, Dr. Bell was awarded Nerdscholar's "40 under 40" Professors Who Inspire National
Award. During his time in Missouri, he became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
and partnered with Focus on the Family's Hope Restored as a marriage intensive therapist
and speaker. Before being called to Ouachita, Dr. Bell was the Director of Graduate
Studies and Professional Development at Williams Baptist University. While at WBU,
he partnered with his wife to create and implement a Child and Family Studies Degree
Program and the WBU Center for Healthy Families.
Currently, Dr. Bell is a therapist with Living Well Counseling (Arkansas Baptist Children
and Families Ministries). He created LWC's marriage intensive program that offers
distressed married couples throughout Arkansas an option for 2 or 3 days of marital
therapy. Dr. Bell and his wife are co-founders of Family Fanatics Ministry. Family
Fanatics is a ministry designed to strengthen marriages and families as well as family-owned
businesses. When Dr. Bell is not in a classroom, therapy room or presenting at a conference,
you can find him hanging out with his family: Tracy, Lillie, Ruthie, Hudson, and Addie
Rae. Dr. Bell believes that his primary ministry is to be a great husband and father.
Q&A
Why did you come to Ouachita?
I truly believe God has called me to Ouachita. Although I do not completely understand
the "why" for God calling our family to OBU just yet, I do know that for the past
twenty years I have been the beneficiary of an OBU education. My wife graduated from
Ouachita a few years ago, and her 4-year transformational experience has impacted
me greatly throughout our marriage.
Why did you decide to become a professor?
The world is full of hurting people and the helping profession needs Christians to
influence the current standing of the field as well as the future direction of the
mental health field. I believe every student has a divine “calling” from God. Students
are challenged to engage with questions of Who am I called to be? and How does my
personal “calling” fit within the larger mental health field? To help students understand
their “calling” and to prepare them to become competent Christian helping professionals
I build my class lectures, assignments, discussions, and activities to revolve around
students’ learning at four levels: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Courses
have a balance between intellectual knowledge (mental), students’ personal relationships
to the class material (emotional), integration of faith and the helping profession
(spiritual), and practical experiences (physical). My teaching philosophy flows from
these four areas.
Why is your subject an important one in our world?
Bruce Perry once stated, "Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful
therapy is human love". Most of my career has focused on helping students understand
the impact relationships have on the health and well-being of individuals. I believe
one of the greatest gifts you can offer the people in your life and broader community
is a healthy relationship to experience. My classes engage students in a communal
way that attempts to leave a lasting impact on them so they can become change/healing
agents in a hurting world.
What do you want future students to know about your degree program?
We live in a fallen world full of hurting people that need helping professionals grounded
in faith. People will continue to seek help from the mental health field, so the field
needs Christians engaged and making an impact. The helping profession is a big mission
field and presents a great opportunity for students to impact the Kingdom.
What do you like to do in your free time?
- Hanging with my traveling circus of 6 better known as Team Bell
- Anything that provides competition from sports to "Go Fish" card games
- Speaking at marriage and family enrichment conferences
- Anything outdoors, enjoying God's creation
What has been a meaningful Bible verse or passage for you?
Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from
the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving". NIV
Publications
Presentations:
- Intensive Therapy with Couples and Families: The What, The Why, The How Arkansas Christian
Counselors and Therapist Annual Conference, Little Rock, AR
- Fearless Marriage
Faith Oakville Church, St. Louis, MO
- Next Level Marriage Retreat
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Springfield, MO
- Rewriting Your Marital Playbook
Bethel Church of the Nazarene, Nampa, ID
- Fearless Marriage Encounter: Rewriting Your Marital Playbook
Heritage Church, Modesto, CA
- Escape the Noise Marriage Retreat
Windermere Retreat Center, Lake of the Ozarks, MO
- Fearless Marriage Encounter
C3 Church, Palm Desert, CA
- Great Marriages Have…
College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO
- Focus on the Family’s Marriage Institute Seminars/Retreats
Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ; Kansas City, MO; Philippi, WV; Silver Dollar City’s Share
It Forward Foundation; Branson, MO; etc.
- Creating Home Field Advantage for Your Childs Game of Life
Rome, GA; Greenbrier, AR; Searcy, AR; etc.
- Patriot Base Camp Family Seminar Series
School of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO
- Legacy Youth Institute
Point Lookout, MO
- 2013 Missouri Fellowship of Christian Athletes Coaches’ Retreat Colombia, MO
- MOPS Organization Seminar
Branson, MO
- Connecting at the Heart
Rotary Club, Branson, MO
- Seven Steps Before Saying Yes
College of the Ozarks, Branson, MO
- SIFE Business Ethics Convocation
Branson, MO
- LAMFT Annual Conference Seminar Speaker
Baton Rouge, LA
Podcasts:
- Building Healthy Families with Stephen and Tracy Bell (September 4, 2023) That Farm
Life Podcast presented by Agri-Health Network and Eagles Farms
- The Value of Hard Work with Stephen and Tracy Bell (December 11, 2023) That Farm Life
Podcast presented by Agri-Health Network and Eagles Farms
- Resolutions for the Family with Stephen and Tracy Bell (December 18, 2023) That Farm
Life Podcast presented by Agri-Health Network and Eagles Farms
