Bob Ferguson recently retired after 41+ years in pastoral ministry all of those as the Lead Pastor/Senior Minister of the churches he served. Bob graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and then The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, with the Master of Divinity (1977) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. He has served as pastor of churches in Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina and most recently, Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, North Carolina. Bob’s love in ministry is in seeing persons who have been turned off by church come alive to a faith relationship with Christ Jesus and then living out of that new reality. He enjoys conversations with persons who tell him they don’t believe in God but are spiritual. Often these are far closer to the Kingdom than they realize. He loves helping older churches be reborn as they rediscover not only a new vision, but a new level of ministry involvement. He relishes helping churches see the cultural captivity in which they exist and then discovering ways to escape that captivity. Bob and Debby have been married for 41 years and have two sons: Eddie married to Katie with whom they have 2 daughters: Anna and Sarah Kate. Jack married to Alissa with whom he has a son Mac and a daughter Caroline. Bob and Debby enjoy spoiling their grandchildren Bob spends his time with them dreaming up stuff to do that they haven’t thought of yet! His hobbies are golf, walking his dog, reading, and enjoying collegiate athletics. Debby and Bob are currently in the process of relocating to Charleston, SC, where they will be closer to their sons and grandchildren.
Most consultants know the scenario all too well. A phone call comes in — “We need help in our ___________ area.” A conversation ensues during which the consultant lays out how our strategic visioning process works, including how it maximizes effort and focus into an efficient whole. After a few moments of silence, the caller…
One weekday noon I found myself eating lunch with about a dozen or so men who were on the sidelines as far as church involvement was concerned. At one time, all had been heavily involved in a leadership capacity in their church. Some belonged to my former church — others belonged to churches where I…
