Bob was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Oregon and Hawaii. He became a Christian after attending the Waikiki Baptist Church, and was baptized in May, 1961. He surrendered to the ministry in December, 1964, and was licensed by the Nuuanu Baptist Church in May, 1965. Following his graduation from McKinley High School, he attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. It was there that he met Anita, a freshman nursing student.
Anita was born in Los Angeles, California, the oldest daughter of a Marine Corps family. She was raised in several states but mostly in Dallas, Texas, where she came to faith in Christ. After finishing high school in Tennessee she was accepted into the nursing school at Baylor and sang in several Baylor choirs and opera productions. She graduated in June, 1969, and began her Navy Nurse Corps career.
Bob joined the Navy in August, 1966, and went to boot camp in San Diego. He served on two guided missile destroyers, one in Charleston, SC, and the other at Pearl Harbor, HI. Just before separating from the Navy, they were married at the base chapel, Santa Ana, California, January 17, 1970.
After separation from the Navy, Bob moved to Charleston, where Anita was serving at the Naval Hospital as a Navy nurse. He attended the Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University) and graduated in June, 1973. While there he and Anita served at two churches, leading the music program and working with the youth. Anita separated from the Navy later that year and they moved to Louisville, KY, where Bob attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated in June, 1976, with his Masters of Divinity degree. He and Anita continued to work in the area of music and youth while they lived in Louisville. He was ordained at the Midlane Park Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, in December, 1976.
After separation from the Navy, Bob moved to Charleston, where Anita was serving at the Naval Hospital as a Navy nurse. He attended the Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University) and graduated in June, 1973. While there he and Anita served at two churches, leading the music program and working with the youth. Anita separated from the Navy later that year and they moved to Louisville, KY, where Bob attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated in June, 1976, with his Masters of Divinity degree. He and Anita continued to work in the area of music and youth while they lived in Louisville. He was ordained at the Midlane Park Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, in December, 1976.
In January, 1977 they moved to Molokai, and assumed the pastorate of the Kaunakakai Baptist Church. Russell was born in September of that year. Anita initiated the visiting nurse program for the Hawaii Department of Health while they were there.
In January, 1979, they moved again, this time to Lancaster, CA, and the Olivet Baptist Church. Andrew was born in February, 1980. In 1980, Bob and Anita participated in the first MasterLife workshop at Glorieta, and began using this process to disciple believers in their church. In 1982, Bob was chosen to be a workshop co-leader for Lifeway and began traveling throughout the U.S. to present workshops to pastors, laymen and women, and church staff.
In August, 1984, Bob assumed the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Los Alamos, NM. During his pastorate in this highly educated community, Bob continued leading MasterLife workshops for Lifeway and served on the Executive Board of the BCNM. In July, 1987, they returned to Hawaii where Bob became the pastor of the Kalihi Baptist Church. He ministered there for a little over 6 years, and served on the Executive Board of HPBC. During this time Anita began her graduate work at the University of Hawaii School of Nursing, earning her Master of Science in Nursing in 1995 and her Masters in Public Health in 1997.
In the fall of 1993, Bob began his "second" career as a substitute teacher, filling in as a pulpit supply, interim pastor in several churches on Oahu, with occasional visits to Hilo and Kona, and as assistant pastor at First Baptist Church of Honolulu. He also served as interim resort missionary, directing the "No Booze Cruise" ministry of the Hawaii Baptist Convention and the Sunday morning "Worship on the Waves" off Waikiki Beach. He served as an adjunct instructor in Church History at Chaminade University, Honolulu. They also helped support a new mission in Kaneohe and organized a mission into a church at Makaha. With Anita graduated from the University of Hawaii, Bob began taking classes for his masters in secondary education, completing his degree work in May, 2000, and graduating with honors.
In August, 2000, Bob and Anita again packed up and moved to Coronado, CA, where they completed 3 1/2 years of ministry at the Coronado Baptist Church in San Diego. Their granddaughter, Varonika, was born to Andrew and Sheri in October, 2000; their second granddaughter, Kili, was born April 28, 2006; they live with them in San Diego. Additionally, he has served as an adjunct instructor in hermenutics at Southern California College (Shadow Mountain Community Church-SBC), and returned from a week in Japan where he completed prayer walking and preaching with IMB missionaries as a part of Free Japan 2004.
Bob and Anita currently serve at San Diego Japanese Southern Baptist Church where Bob is the pastor. He has written his first book, tentatively titled: A Church For the Ages. A second book, Heavenly Lessons for an Earthly Church(1st Corinthians), is on the drawing board.
From June 22 - July 14, 2009, Bob and Anita traveled to Nalerigu, Ghana, West Africa, to serve at the Baptist Medical Center. Anita worked in the Nutrition clinic, saw pediatric and adult patients, and assisted the doctors; Bob worked with the chaplain's office, preached in services at the center and Second Baptist Church, Nalerigu. Their church graciously sponsored them on this mission trip.