John Roberts retiring after 34-plus years as pastor at Sterling’s First Baptist Church

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

For John Roberts, the longtime pastor at First Baptist Church in Sterling, the season is changing.

Roberts is retiring from full-time ministry as of Oct. 15. He and wife Debbie will be moving to Lousiville, Kentucky days later, where they have purchased a home next door to their daughter, Laura, and her family.

Roberts knows that after over 34 years behind the pulpit at First Baptist, the changes won’t be easy. “There’s a million things I will miss,” he said. But, he added, “I’m 66 and it’s a good time.”

Roberts made the decision to enter the ministry as a freshman at Purdue University, after an encounter in a Bible study with an organization called The Navigators. He said a message out of 2 Peter 3 about “things that would last” inspired him to change his major the next morning from physics to general science.

“Then I called my parents,” he said, noting that his dad was not surprised to hear the news.

He graduated in three years and instead of entering a career in subatomic research, he took a year off. He and Debbie got married, then headed to seminary at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. Three years later, as he was getting ready to graduate, he received a call to be pastor of Gosport Baptist Church.

Roberts stayed there for six years,

Article source: https://www.journal-advocate.com/2019/09/27/john-roberts-retiring-after-34-plus-years-as-pastor-at-sterlings-first-baptist-church/