References

Greetings to you in Christ!

My name is Rev. Paul C. Schroeder and I have been in full time pastoral ministry since the fall of 1998.  I have served on the pastoral staff of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho since the fall of 2011, for the past three years as the principal of the pre-K through 12th grade Christian school, Genesis Prep Academy that meets on its campus.

Shortly after joining the pastoral team at Peninsula Lutheran Church in Gig Harbor, Washington in the fall of ’98, I had the great blessing to meet Robert Bedford, his wife Marna and their two amazing daughters.  Bob and his family were active members at Peninsula Lutheran and Bob served as a part of our leadership team until his family relocated to the Twin Cities about a decade later.  Over the course of the past two decades Bob has been a parishioner, servant-leader, friend, mentor, fellow Barbershop enthusiast and now colleague!  Bob recently asked me to write this letter of recommendation and I do so on his behalf without reservation.

In his book, Wishful Thinking; A Theological ABC’s Frederick Buechner writes, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  When I look at Bob Bedford I see an incredibly gifted man of God with a servant’s heart who has clearly identified his deep gladness and is using his spiritual gifts of teaching the faith, nurturing leadership and servanthood to not only meet the world’s deep hunger, but, specifically, to meet a very real need in God’s church.

Bob is, quite literally, the embodiment of Bob Buford’s book Halftime: Changing your Game Plan from Success to Significance. Buford writes, “…for the second half of life to be better than the first, you must make the choice to step outside of the safety of living on autopilot. You must wrestle with who you are, why you believe what you profess to believe about your life, and what you do to provide meaning and structure to your daily activities and relationships.”  I couldn’t be more proud of my friend for risking to do just that.  Far from coasting into the second half of life on auto-pilot he completed the MATS program at UNW, relocated to Colorado (the epicenter of his new life and ministry) and is now actively pursuing God’s new call on his life.

Some of the words and phrases that come to mind when I think of Bob are; spiritually mature, tenacious, servant-leader, creative, passionate, knowledgeable, dynamic, team player with a voracious appetite for God’s Word and learning in general.  His “lather-factor” is off the charts!  His character and integrity are exceptional and his impact on the ministries we’ve served/led together, beyond description.

I think it’s safe to say that for Bob, the whole world is a classroom and “teachable moments” are everywhere. Bob’s voracious appetite and passion for God’s Word and learning is matched only by his commitment to live it out daily, to move it from the head to the heart, to apply it to his life.  His proclamation of the gospel is prepared and prayed over, passionate and powerful.  Preaching for life change could be his motto.   

You may be thinking, “This sounds too good to be true.”  And if I didn’t know Bob Bedford the way that I do, and I was reading this, I’d probably think the same thing.  The truth is, Bob is one of the most talented and gifted individuals that I have had the pleasure of working with in ministry.  If I was planting a church, I’d be honored and blessed to have Bob by my side!

I whole-heartedly support, endorse and recommend Bob Bedford to you as a fellow servant of Christ, proclaimer of the Gospel and partner in ministry.  

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or to discuss this matter in greater depth.

Peace to you, 

Rev. Paul C. Schroeder

Real Life Ministries

Post Falls, ID  83854

To fellow pastors and leaders of ministry organizations,

I highly recommend Pastor Bob Bedford as a minister of the Gospel and teacher of God's Word.  He has a great heart for the Lord and loves to communicate God's Word to encourage Christians as they walk with Jesus.  Bob brings a lifetime of experience in the business and ministry world.  These experiences have enriched his preaching and teaching ministry with wisdom and practicality.  

Bob loves the local church and wants to encourage churches by serving pastors by giving them a break from their pulpit ministry.  Bob is a loving and caring brother in Christ.  I commend him to you and your ministry as one who will bring encouragement (one of his many gifts) to you as a pastor and to your church.

Peace,

Dr. Todd Olson

Senior Pastor

First Evangelical Free Church of Maplewood, MN  55109

To fellow pastors, church leaders, and leaders of ministry organizations:

I am excited to write this letter of recommendation for Bob Bedford. He has been a student and friend of mine for some time now and I have gotten to know him well.

He has a servant’s heart and a theologian’s mind. He is using his passions and talents to bless others, which is a great example of godly character.

As a pastor myself, I realize much is expected by congregants in the way of time, energy, and commitment of their overseers. In most cases in smaller churches, pastors are expected to marry, bury, baptize, teach, preach, counsel, visit, and be available on a moment's notice at all hours and days of the week, all of which can take a toll on their family relationships, personal vitality, and vocational efforts if no respite is provided. I believe they need rest and respite from their duties (at least with respect to preparing and delivering a message) but conditions often prohibit. Bob’s desire is to provide pastors relief and peace of mind while being able to provide the church with alternative superior supply preaching. 

The Lord placed this unique ministry calling on his heart in 2018, and it was the impetus for pursuing a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies degree. It is here as his professor that I came to have a glimpse into his theological priorities, biblically sound understanding and use of Scripture, and strong capability to communicate in writing and in person. I also came to know and respect him as a fellow brother in the faith, an ardent life-long learner, and a faithful handler of the Word through his papers, class participation and general conversations. Bob exhibited a strong depth of Biblical knowledge, a commitment to the truth found in Scripture, and a well-reasoned faith. Fellow students greatly appreciated his contributions and presentation abilities, and his genuine concern for the personal and academic success of others.

It is fitting to see a man of such strength of character, capability, and faith considered for this service. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

His grace,

Pastor David A. Luick

The Real Tree Church

Farmington, MN 55024

To Pastors and Church Leaders,

I am recommending Bob Bedford to your church or ministry organization. 

While studying at the University of Northwestern St. Paul, Bob modeled both integrity and academic excellence. While I work with many graduate students each year, Bob has proven to be exceptional in his studies, service and commitment to the Lord. His writing and communication skills were demonstrated throughout the degree program. He is a passionate, faithful, humble servant of Christ. 

Bob has the unique ability to integrate and apply knowledge to the real world inside and outside of the church. His senior level experience in the business world will be invaluable to those he serves in ministry. He is a leader and a team player. 

If I were not retired, I would not hesitate to consider Bob for a role in the pastorate or other ministry.

I highly recommend Bob to your church or ministry organization. 

Sincerely,

Dr Rick Thoman

Professor and Chair (ret.), Department of Christian Ministries

Adjunct Faculty Schools of Business and Theological Studies

Dean of Faculty (ret.), Dean College of Professional Studies (ret)

University of Northwestern St. Paul

Roseville, MN 55113