Bishop Rudolph Powell was born and raised in the Welches Creek Community of Whiteville, NC. He was married to the lovely Barbara Ford.

Bishop Powell received his formal education from the Whiteville Public Schools and also received Religion Degree from Bread of Life Bible College in Whiteville, NC. He retired from Hudson Valley Metal Works, Newburgh, New York.

Bishop Powell accepted his call into the ministry in 1978 at First Born Church of the Living God in Newburgh, NY and Pastored his first church, Solid Rock Church of the Living God. Upon returning home to North Carolina he was a member of Love Grove Free Will Baptist Church in Whiteville, NC. Bishop Powell is the immediate past Presiding Bishop of the Columbus Conference of the United American Free Will Baptist Denomination where he served as Presiding Bishop for six years; he provided leadership and guidance to churches in Robeson and Columbus Counties in North Carolina and Horry County in South Carolina. He served as the Pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Red Springs, NC for thirteen years. After which, Bishop Powell served as the Pastor of Cedar Hill Free Will Baptist Church in Whiteville, NC, and Mt Zion Free Will Baptist Church in Fairmont, NC consecutively for thirteen years.  Bishop Powell had a strong desire to serve the Lord and to do His will.  If you did not find Bishop Powell somewhere preaching God’s word, then you could find him somewhere on a pier or in a boat fishing.

His memories will forever be cherished by his loving wife Barbara; one daughter Delores Todman of NewPort News Virginia; Sisters Arthalia Neal of Clairton, PA and Vilena Jessup of Elizabethtown, NC. He also leaves behind a host of Grands, Great-Grands, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends, His Spiritual Son Bishop Fredrick(LaTasha) Murray and the many members of the Columbus Conference that loved him immensely.