Board of Directors

Jeff Connor

Jeff is a local business owner that has many years of experience in coming alongside pastors and their wives to encourage them in their calling. He and his wife Patty have a burning desire to serve the Lord in this area of ministry of Care for Pastors. They live in Okahumpka with two of their unmarried children.

Kathy Rivers

Kathy is a Florida native, retiring from the Miami-Dade Police Department in June, 2000, after working 30 years in the Police Communications Bureau. Kathy served on the BOD for Valencia Homeowners Association in Miami for twenty years (including ten as President), until she and her husband relocated to Leesburg, FL., in March, 2003. In 2005, Kathy started getting involved in the Financial Committee of the community they currently live in. But, the Lord had other plans; in May, 2007, Kathy accepted a part-time position as Administration/Financial Ministry Assistant at Southpointe and resigned from the Financial Committee in her community. She also, accepted a position on the BOD for Care for Pastors and resigned from her volunteer position as Treasurer of the BOD for the Retired Police Officers, after serving for 6 years.In my entire life, I had never been so committed to doing the Lord’s work until He placed me at Southpointe and Care for Pastors. He gave me the opportunity to witness first hand the hurt that can be placed upon Pastors and their family by certain members of their congregation and how the called servants of the Lord can be torn to shreds in a matter of hours. But, their love and commitment to the Lord and the support of others can sometimes not be enough and this is why there is such a great need for others to love on and cleanse their feet, because they are Worthy of such. Only the Lord knows what path my future will take, but I pray that it will be to continue to doing his work and give the support that is needed everyday to “Care for Pastors”.

John Harling

John graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA in 1988 with a BS in Youth Ministries. He also received his Masters of Divinity, with a concentration in Counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary in 1994.Since graduation, John and his wife Peggy have served in ministry as Senior Pastor and as a layman in discipleship classes. He was the Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Bourne, MA for four years. He also served as Senior Pastor of Faith Community Church in Leesburg, FL for two years.He has written and published a discipleship book Grounded for Growth to help believers lay a foundation for their spiritual growth and development. He has also written Word at Work, which is a discipleship book to train people to study the word.John brings a dynamic to the board that only a former pastor could bring. He understands the need in this ministry like only those in ministry would understand.John and Peggy live in Leesburg, FL with their two sons, John Michael and Matthew

Advisory Board

Dr. Richard (Dick) R. Wynn, Chairman

Dick serves as the Chief of Staff for Northland, A Church Distributed. Northland is located in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. (Click for full bio)

Bobb Biehl, Member

Bobb Biehl

For over 31 years Bobb was a member of the board of directors of Focus on the Family.He is also a member of the board of directors of Liquid Metal (publicly traded).Prior to starting Masterplanning Group, Bobb was on the executive staff of World Vision International. While at World Vision he designed and developed the Love Loaf program, which has raised millions of dollars worldwide.

He graduated from Michigan State University (psychology major) in 1964. He also received a Master’s Degree (counseling) from Michigan State in 1966. Bobb and his wife, Cheryl, have been married since 1964.They have two adult children, 2 grand children, and one great grand child. (Click for full bio)

Ron Blue, Member

Convinced that Christians would better handle their personal finances if they were counseled objectively with the highest technical expertise and from a Biblical perspective, he founded a financial planning firm in 1979. (Click for full bio)

Dr. Joseph Stowell, Member

joe stowell pastor and president of cornerstone university

Dr. Stowell serves as the 11th President of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.He is a nationally known speaker and author. (Click for full bio)

Dr. Howard Hendricks, Member

Howard Hendricks is currently a Distinguished Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He is also the Chair of the Center for Christian Leadership. (Click for full bio)

Ron DeHaas, Member

Ron DeHaas is the President and CEO of Covenant, Inc. (www.covenanteyes.com), which pioneered Internet accountability. Ron also has a broad range of successful business experience. (Click for full bio)

Dr. Patrick Morley, Member

For three decades Patrick Morley has been regarded as one of America’s most respected authorities on the unique challenges and opportunities that men face.After spending the first part of his career in the highly competitive world of real estate development, Patrick has been used throughout the world to help men think more deeply about their lives. (Click for full bio)

Dr. Jim Henry, Member

Jim Henry has been Pastor of First Baptist Church of Orlando since 1977. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, “Brother Jim” is a graduate of Georgetown College in Kentucky and earned his B.D., M. Div. Degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. (Click for full bio)

Josh McDowell, Member

Josh has spoken to more than ten million young people in eighty-four countries, including more than 700 university and college campuses. He has authored or coauthored more than one hundred books and workbooks. (Click for full bio)

Mathew Staver, Member

In 1989, Mathew Staver became the Founder, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel and currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Liberty Counsel is a litigation, education and policy organization with offices in Orlando, Florida, Lynchburg, Virginia, and hundreds of affiliate attorneys in all 50 states. (Click for full bio)

Founders Ron and Rodetta Cook

Ron and Rodetta Cook Ron and Rodetta have been married thirty-one years. They have actively served the Lord together in ministry during the entire time, and are co-founders of Care for Pastors. Ron earned his BS degree from Liberty University in 1979. Upon graduation, he pastored two churches in West Virginia from 1980-1988 before returning to Lynchburg, VA to complete his Masters Degree in Counseling at Liberty. He also served on the pastoral staff at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg from 1989-1997. While on staff, he acted as the Singles Pastor and Church Counselor. Ron and Rodetta came to Florida to serve at First Baptist Church of Leesburg, where he served again as Singles Pastor and Church Counselor. In April of 2000 he was called to be the Senior Pastor at a new church plant called Southpointe. Over the past nine years, it has grown to an average attendance of 700. Having nearly been a burn-out statistic, Ron and Rodetta understand the unique pressures and demands on ministry families. Ron believes the statistics reveal how miserably the church is failing to do its part in helping maintain the health and well being of its most valuable resource, its Pastors. Since 2000, Ron and Rodetta have had the privilege of coming alongside dozens of ministry families to encourage and counsel. Their heartbeat is to provide the care and resources to keep God’s servants healthy spiritually, emotionally and relationally. The past thirty years of ministry have been preparation for this ministry; to serve those who serve. They consider this a privilege.

Email: ron@careforpastors.org