Speakers

Dr. Bob Roberts, Jr. is the founding and Senior Pastor of Northwood Church, a fast- growing church near Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. He is the author of Transformation, Glocalization and The Multiplying Church. He is a leading practitioner and writer on glocal—local and global—transformation of individuals, churches, communities and global engagement. Roberts’ unique principles have transformed the people and ministry of Northwood and its103 (and counting) church plants and “adopted” nations throughout the world. He is the founder of Glocalnet, a network of like-minded leaders who are advancing a glocal church multiplication movement that connects the body of Christ worldwide.

Bob is a graduate of Baylor University (BA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Fuller Seminary (D.Min). Bob is married to Niki and they have two children, Ben and Jill.

Dennis is a native of Evergreen, Alabama. He received his BA from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama; his M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and his D.Min. in Church Growth and Evangelism from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dennis has also completed further doctoral level work in the area of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Before coming to the North American Mission Board, Culbreth served as the founding Senior Pastor of River Oak Church (1998-2007), a SBC church located in the metropolitan Tidewater Area of Virginia. While in Virginia, he also served as Senior Pastor of South Norfolk Baptist Church (1998-2001). Dennis was the founding Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Baptist Church (1986-1998) in Buford, Georgia where he was appointed a Church Planter Apprentice by the Home Mission Board of the SBC in 1986. Prior to Rolling Hills, he served as Pastor of Crawford Baptist Church (1984-1986) in Phenix City, Alabama. Culbreth also served on the staffs of various churches in Texas and Alabama as well as an Intern at First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.

Before coming to NAMB, Dr. Culbreth assisted the denomination by serving as President of the Virginia Baptist convention (SBCV) and was a trustee at the North American Mission Board.

Dennis and his wife, Marybeth, have three children; Andrew, a junior at Virginia Tech, Matthew,a freshman at Samford University, Grace who is in the eighth grade.

Jerry Rankin was elected as the 11th president of the International Mission Board on June 14, 1993. Born in Tupelo, Miss., Dr. Rankin received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Mississippi College in Clinton and the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He was awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Mississippi College.

He and his wife, Bobbye, were appointed in 1970 as Southern Baptist missionaries to Indonesia where they served as church planters.

Later he served as associate to the area director and then area director for Southern Asia and the Pacific. He brings 23 years of overseas service to his current position of leadership.

The Rankins have two children, both of whom are married and have been appointed for missionary service.