About You
I know you want to change lives. I understand that you care deeply for people, but that you can find it frustrating to obtain equipping that helps you truly to care like Christ. If I’ve accurately described you, and if what you see below matches what you’re looking for, then consider subscribing to my blog posts via email. You can do so on the top right hand side of the RPM Ministries home page.
About Me
I’m passionate about equipping you to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth through Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling.
That’s why this site offers blog posts at Truth & Love, hundreds of free resources, and much more–all designed to equip you to relate God’s truth to your daily life and ministry.
That’s why I authored the 23 books that you can learn more about here at RPM Books.
About RPM Ministries
Most Christians care deeply but struggle to speak the truth in love. RPM Ministries exists to equip pastors, lay people, educators, students, and biblical counselors to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth through gospel-centered, theologically-saturated, relationship-focused, church history-informed, research-aware ministry as soul physicians of embodied-souls. For a summary of my approach to biblical counseling, see 6 Biblical Counseling Convictions.
RPM is our acrostic for Resurrection Power Multipliers. I based this concept on Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10:
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.”
As believers in Christ, we have within us the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:15-23). God calls us to commune with Christ, connect to one another in the Body of Christ, and thus to tap into, avail ourselves of, and apply Christ’s resurrection power in our lives and ministries to glorify God.
What About Bob?
In 2022, I “semi-retired” so that I could provide care for my dear wife, Shirley, who continues to recover from a stroke she suffered in 2021.
Prior to that, I served for many years as Vice President of Strategic Development, Dean of Students, Academic Dean, and Professor of Biblical Counseling at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana.
I also had the joy of serving for six years as the founding Executive Director for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. The BCC’s vision is to promote collaborative relationships and provide robust, relevant resources for all those committed to biblical counseling. The BCC’s passion is to promote personal change centered on the Person of Christ through the personal ministry of the Word.
I served for seventeen years as the founding Chairman of the Master of Arts in Christian Counseling and Discipleship (MACCD) Department at Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, Maryland. Through the MACCD, by God’s grace I’ve equipped 1,000s of pastors, church leaders, and professional counselors for biblical ministry.
In my four pastoral ministries (one as Sr. Pastor and three as Associate Pastor/Counseling Pastor/Equipping Pastor), I’ve equipped 1000s of lay people as biblical counselors and spiritual friends. In each church, I’ve launched and led the “LEAD Ministry”: Life Encouragers And Disciplers.”
In my role as Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries, I focus on a Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed approach to equipping local churches for biblical counseling and spiritual formation. Through RPM Ministries, I’ve consulted with scores of churches and para-church groups, walking them through his “4E” model for launching and leading equipping ministries.
I received my BA in Pastoral Ministry from Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, PA), my Th.M. in Theology and Biblical Counseling from Grace Theological Seminary (Winona Lake, IN), and my Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Kent State University (Kent, OH).
For what I believe about biblical counseling, please see the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. In 2010-2011, I had the honor of facilitating and leading three dozen biblical counseling leaders in a none-month process of crafting ten drafts of what became the BCC’s Confessional Statement.
For my doctrinal/theological convictions, please see the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Doctrinal Statement. In 2010-2011, I facilitated/led the BCC’s Board of Directors in adopting this Statement of Faith.
Shirley, my wife of over 43 years, and I live in Auburn, WA (within a mile of all our kids and grandkids!). We’re the parents of two adult children. Josh is a lawyer, and the proud parent (and we are the proud grandparents) of Naomi, Penny, and Phoebe. Marie works in the field of Market Research and Analysis. Shirley is a retired kindergarten teacher and full-time grandma. She is also the most gracious, patient, kind, and Christ-like person I have ever known.