At the age of 30, Rob answered a call on a mountaintop to the pastoral ministry which began an incredible adventure. Since then he graduated from Radford (1987), received a Masters of Divinity from Duke (1991), and a Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary (2005). Rob was ordained Deacon in 1991 and Elder in 1993 by the Virginia Annual Conference and has served the church for 37 years. Churches include Catawba Charge (Roanoke), Calvary (Salem), Smith Memorial (Collinsville), Thrasher (Vinton), and Timberlake (Lynchburg). He also has served as District Superintendent of the James River District until his retirement and now enjoys being in ministry with this wonderful family at Three Oaks Fellowship.
In August of 1972, Rob married his high school sweetheart, Mary Alice, and they now have shared an incredible journey of love, joy, faith, and tears together for 49 years. Mary Alice retired as an RN and answered God’s call to be a local pastor in 2014. Since then she has served Claremont, Blandford, and the Newsoms charge. Together they have 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren!
Rob and Mary Alice believe the church is a means of grace existing for the purpose of making Disciples of Christ who offer God’s love to all. Every Christian community is called to be the visible and tangible presence of Jesus and their desire is to keep focused on God’s vision for creation by empowering and equipping disciples to bear God’s dream of reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus. In keeping the main thing the main thing, we all find our purpose as agents of reconciliation. Not only do we get to make a difference, but we get to be the difference and live a life that truly matters. Above all, we love to share the joy of the Lord who provides both eternal and abundant life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NIV
