Dr. Robert ANDERSON, 2005

ANDERSON, VANCE, LESAN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 10/3/2012 at 02:00:12

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, March 10, 2005

Minister slowing down after 42 years as pastor

A former Ringgold county resident is stepping down from full-time pastoral work after 42 years of continuous ministry.

Dr. Robert ANDERSON, a 1956 graduate of Mount Ayr high school, retired from the Tacoma, WA church he has served, but will continue to serve on the Missions Council of the Presbyterian Missionary Union and will travel occasionally on missions trips. Currently he and his wife, Nancy, are spending a few months laboring in Western Australia.

Reverend ANDERSON was born and raised on an Iowa farm, the son of Helen (VANCE) ANDERSON and the late Wayne ANDERSON of Creston.

The family lived in Arispe, Shannon City and Tingley areas as he was groing up and he graduated from Mount Ayr high school.

His grandparents were the late George and Jennie (LESAN) VANCE from Ringgold county and Martin and Bertha (ROBERTSON) ANDERSON from the Arispe and Shannon City area.

Reverend ANDERSON attended Sterling College in Kansas and Shelton College in New Jersey. He graduated from Faith Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA in 1962.

He ministered for three years in Maryville, TN, after which he, along with his wife Nancy, moved to Tacoma, WA, in February 1967 to pastor the Tacoma Bible Presbyterian Church.

During his time there, he was involved in starting the annual youth camp at Kalispell, MN in 1969, the Heritage Christian School in 1972, the Western Reformed Seminary in 1983 and the Presbyterian Missionary Union in 1985.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012