My name is Bob Wine, and I’ve been married to my wife Connie for 55 years living mostly in Nebraska. We have two daughters who love God, one married with four girls and two boys and four grandchildren, and the other daughter is a widow with two boys.
My dad “planted” new churches, so I know the struggles that come with that lifestyle. I began vocational ministry in 1966 helping my father plant a church in So California. I received my License to Preach in 1968, graduated from Bethany Bible College (Santa Cruz CA) in 1969, and was Ordained in 1974. I served in a pastoral staff position (music and youth) in California and Oregon for nearly 10 years, and then as a senior pastor in Ainsworth and Kearney Nebraska. While pastoring the New Life church family for over 33 years, I also served as a Nebraska Presbyter for 20 years and a Regional Presbyter for 10 years before being elected as the Nebraska District Superintendent in April 2013. I retired in 2020.
Beyond loving God and His Word with everything within me, my top five core values are leading ‘life change’ in my own life and others; integrity and authenticity; excellence in all I do; balance in theology, practical Christianity, and lifestyle; and discipleship that is intentional, strategic and practical. John Maxwell’s test scored me as a Strategic Leader. My ministry strengths are administration, teaching, and counseling.
Ministry to me is not a job; it is “my reasonable service” of love as modeled by our Lord. Fulfillment of Christian living is found in living this self-giving model, not in self-gratification. I have a firm conviction that we as church leaders must not just educate the intellect or behavior of those we serve. Rather than shaping their behavior, we must shape their heart and equip and mobilize them (Ephesians 4:12) to do their ministry in the highest quality manner they are capable of doing. Therefore, my goal is to create an environment where the lid on the willing, hungry and/or marginalized individual who genuinely loves God with their whole heart is lifted and given an opportunity to develop “people smarts” in order to experience the greater joy God desires for them while serving in their God assigned task. At the same time, my goal is to build up stronger leaders and inspire them to invest in the lives of the hungry blossoming leaders.