Bob Keiderling, Minister of Discipleship

Bob has always had a desire to help people take the next right step in their relationship with Christ by connecting them to people and resources that help them move from seekers to followers to disciples to leaders. Bob’s connection points come from mentoring and counseling along with care and community groups.

He served at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida as Pastor for Community Life, serving as a connection point in pastoral care, equipping, congregational care and congregational services. The role served to build bridges between these departments allowing people to be discipled right where they are at.  It allowed Bob to train and teach as well as overseeing various care ministries such as Stephen Ministry, DivorceCare, Celebrate Recovery, Blended Families, Children of Elderly Parents and GriefShare.

He was also active in pastoral care, averaging 8 hours a week in pastoral counseling and visitation. There were also sacerdotal duties such as weddings, funerals and baby dedications that Bob performed. Included in those duties were recruiting, overseeing, training and debriefing Ministers on Duty, a team of volunteer counselors and lay leaders who served in four hour shifts to counsel and pray with walk ins.

From there Bob moved to Durham, N.C., serving as Minister of Discipleship at McMannen UMC. A strategy for making disciples was developed, Twelve Months of Discipleship, and structured with an emphasis on reaching out to community by meeting their practical and felt needs. A twelve week church wide initiative developed and taught by Bob based on the book, “Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore.” Fifty people participated, learning how to implement Radical Hospitality, Fearless Conversation, Genuine Humility and Divine Anticipation. A 10 week curriculum was developed and presented as a SS class on God’s View and Our Role in Poverty. An all -encompassing ministry to single parents was created that consisted of a 13 week support group and supplying food, help with bills as well as directing them to programs in Durham County that may make raising their family a little easier. In addition to ushers and greeter a HUB team, Helping U Belong, was create to answer any questions visitors may have and help them connect to MUMC.

Bob’s entry point into ministry came while he was still a truck driver, serving as Director of Men’s Ministry at Calvary Baptist Church in Bethlehem, PA, and in full-time ministry to men for 11 years prior to serving at Northland, working with Men of Faith, Top Gun Ministries, Great Dads and Man in the Mirror at a faculty or staff level. He was chosen as Emerging Leader of the Year by National Coalition of Men’s Ministries in 2004. Bob earned his Bachelor of Science & Masters in Religious Education, both with honors, at Liberty Theological Seminary.

He and his partner in ministry, Donna, have been married for 39 years. They have three adult children: daughter Jenn, her husband Jay and son Caiden; daughter Amy, husband Andrew and daughter Anna; son Bobby, his wife Renee. They also have five grandchildren; Caiden, Lydia, Anna, Luca and AJ. Donna currently works for Compass Ministries: Finances God’s Way in Altamonte Springs, FL since 2011. She has also served at Man in the Mirror and Meals on Wheels. Donna shares the same passion for seeing people grow in their faith.

Bob is excited about the opportunity to fulfill God’s vision for Wesley to become a hub for outreach in the community by reaching out to others in tangible ways.  The leadership here is committed to disciple everyone in the church and to be intentional in discovering and meeting the felt needs of its neighbors. It is a great time to be at Wesley.