1 The Rev. Robert Wayne Anderson, D.D. The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 2 LIFE SKETCH & TRIBUTES ROBERT W. ANDERSON—A Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1962. Bob BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE actively supported this agency and its associated churches and missions for many years as a pastor, even traveling and JOHN A. BATTLE speaking on a month-long mission tour of South Korea in 1969. Robert (Bob) Wayne Anderson was born August 7, 1937, and grew up in Shan- After his graduation from Faith in non City, Iowa, with his parents and two 1963, he became the pastor of the Bible sisters.1 There he attended one-room Presbyterian Church in Maryville, Tennes- country schools. Years later, when his see.3 church in Tacoma, Washington, com- pleted the building for its Christian school, In 1965 he attended the convention Pastor Anderson was able to secure the of the International Council of Christian school bell from one of his schools, and it Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. There, now sits atop the building, ready to be near the Reformation Wall with its stat- used to start the school day in its new ues of Calvin and the other Reformers, location.2 Robert proposed to Nancy and they be- came engaged. They were married in In 1956 Bob was converted to Christ Collingswood on September 2, 1966. under the preaching of the Rev. David Otis Fuller. He attended Sterling College in Just six months later, in March 1967, Kansas, and then transferred to Shelton the young minister was called to become College in New Jersey, earning his B.A. the pastor of the historic Tacoma Bible there. Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washing- ton. This church had come out from the Bob enrolled in Faith Theological Presbyterian Church USA in the 1930s, Seminary in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, in had been one of the larger Bible Presby- order to prepare for the gospel ministry. terian churches throughout the years, and While studying at Faith, he attended the had consistently and generously sup- Bible Presbyterian Church and sat under ported the agencies of the denomination.4 the preaching of Dr. Carl McIntire. It was He and his new bride moved across the there at the Collingswood church that he country to take on this work. met a young lady, Nancy Titzck, who was later to become his wife. For thirty-seven years Robert Ander- son served as pastor of the Tacoma Bible While a student at Faith, Bob at- Presbyterian Church. During those years tended the convention of the International his consistent preaching and ministry bore Council of Christian Churches in much fruit in the lives of the congrega- The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 3 tion, and blessed other works as well. building. This had been a desire of many Bob’s biblical, Reformed preaching and in the church for years, to sponsor and teaching through the years is arguably support complete Christian education, the greatest human cause for that church’s from kindergarten through seminary! As present dedication to the doctrines of the a result, Western Reformed Seminary was Reformation. established in Tacoma, being incorporated in 1983. For many years, until his retire- In 1971 he was deeply involved in ment, Robert Anderson served on the the founding of Heritage Christian School, board of the seminary, and he was one of which now includes kindergarten through its strongest defenders and supporters.7 grade eight. Over the years at Heritage Under his leadership the church labored thousands of children have been well and gave sacrificially so that the seminary taught in biblical and Reformed doctrines, could get off to a good start. Through as well as in the important academic sub- the years the Tacoma church has contin- jects. Presently Heritage is the only Chris- ued to house the seminary. tian school in America sponsored by a Bible Presbyterian church.5 When the Presbyterian Missionary Union was formed in 1985, Robert Ander- Bob was and still is very active in the son served on the organizing committee. Northwest Presbytery of the Bible Pres- He encouraged our sister denomination, byterian Church. In 1969 he helped found, the Independent Presbyterian Church of and then, for most of its early years, di- Kenya, when he was the graduation rected the annual summer presbytery speaker for Faith College of the Bible in youth camp near Kalispel, Montana. He 1996. has never missed a camp since, except one year in 1976, when he was attending the ICCC convention in Nairobi, Kenya.6 In addition, he frequently has traveled to His consistent preaching preach in vacant pulpits throughout the presbytery, and to strengthen and encour- and ministry bore much age his fellow ministers. fruit in the lives of the congregation, and blessed In 1978 he was honored by his breth- other works as well. ren in ministry to be elected and to serve as moderator of the 42nd General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church. Another highlight of his life and ministry was his Pastor Anderson retired from the pas- Holy Land trip, taken in 1982. torate in November 2004. However, he continues to be active in ministry. He re- Later, in the summer of 1982, Pastor cently returned from a 2½ -month preach- Anderson and the session of the Tacoma ing trip in Australia, and more such trips church invited John Battle, Ron Bergey, are envisioned. and Chris Lensch to come to Tacoma to begin a new theological seminary in the Robert Anderson’s sermons are con- Northwest, to meet in the spacious church sistently well-prepared, biblical, and theo- The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 4 logically oriented. He normally types out service. Every year, in addition to all his all his sermons ahead of time, but delivers other tasks, Bob is the one who them from notes and memory. It would be personally mashes all the potatoes for profitable for his sermons to be collected dinner for all the campers. and published. Some of his sermons can 7 I remember vividly one late afternoon, be found in the Minutes of the various after we had first moved to Tacoma, that synods of the Bible Presbyterian Church.8 our doorbell rang. There at the door He also has written several articles in the was Bob Anderson! He was dirty and WRS Journal,9 and publications for Fun- tired after an exhausting day of physical damental Presbyterian Publications.10 work. He had cut and hauled firewood for our wood stove, and presented us Bob Anderson has through the with a truckload of it on our driveway. years, in one way or another, blessed the Such acts of generous labor are typical lives of thousands of people. He has of him. served the Lord humbly and faithfully, 8 These are noted in the article by Earl through good times and adversities. The Brown in this issue of the WRS Journal. Lord has used him as a positive force for 9 “A Short Biography of Charles His church. He is an excellent example of Hodge” 4:2 (August 1997): 9-13; the true pastor/theologian. “Andrew Melville: Lion of Scotland” 3:2 (August 1996): 42-46; “A Lament” (a 1 We thank Robert’s wife, Nancy look at Lamentations in the light of the Anderson, for supplying most of the terrorism of 9/11) 9:1 (February 2002): details for this article, as well as the 25-29. photograph of her husband. 10 “A Bicentennial Remembrance— 2 The school children sign up in Charles Hodge” (1997), and “Infant advance for the privilege of ringing the Baptism” and “Marring of Marriage” bell. (2004). 3 It was there that I first met Bob, in the summer of 1964. I was a part of the Highland College summer gospel team, traveling with Dr. Robert Kofahl. Bob TRIBUTES cooked a breakfast for our team in his bachelor apartment, delicious Swedish FROM HOWARD CARLSON pancakes! He also played one of his favorite stereo records for us—the God’s standards for a faithful pastor – sounds of steam and diesel locomotives Ezekiel 13:4-16 passing by. 4 For a history of the beginning of the America’s pulpits are suffering a great Tacoma church, see David C. Sinding, crisis of identity over what constitutes “Roy Talmage Brumbaugh: Bible biblical preaching. This was also true Presbyterian Pioneer in the Northwest,” among God’s people 2600 years ago. We WRS Journal 11:1 (February 2004): 8-15. must realize we are in a great spiritual war, 5 Heritage’s website: http:// and defensive as well as offensive steps www.heritagecs.net/staff.html. must be taken. 6 One job is typical of his heart for The WRS Journal 12:2, August 2005 5 In Ezek 13:4-5, 10, God tells what is required by Him of His spokesmen. We • Fifth, the justice of God and the derive the positive precepts from nega- certainty of judgment for sin tives in the text. must not be minimized by unbiblical, false assurance (v. • First, there must be involvement 10). in the issues of the day and not a convenient sidestepping, like Here is the true interpretation of this pas- a fox in the wilderness which sage. It refers to God’s spokesmen and flees at every hint of danger (v. not to literal building of walls and gaps 4). but: “To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy” (v. 16). • Second, there are “gaps” in the defensive walls of God’s people I have alluded to this passage be- which must be plugged. Our cause in my observation, it was to a very children need the holes in their great extent fulfilled in the long and fruit- knowledge and emotional re- ful ministry of Dr.