“My desire for Pisgah is that in all things Christ may have the preeminence. As we worship and serve him together it is my prayer that His body, the church, may be blessed through the perfecting of the saints (believers) for the work of ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
The son of Richard Canear Lewis and Mary Evelyn Kennedy Lewis, Richard Canear Lewis, Jr. was born on June 19, 1957, in Lexington, Va. He attended schools in Rock Hill and graduated from Erskine College in 1979 with the A.B. degree in history. He earned the M.Div. degree from Erskine Seminary in 1982. During seminary he was a residence hall director at Erskine College, and he interned at the Neely’s Creek and Bartow Churches.
Catawba Presbytery licensed him at the Hickory Grove ARP Church March 21, 1982 and ordained him at the First Rock Hill ARP Church on May 30, 1982. He then became pastor at Ora ARP Church in Laurens County, South Carolina, which he served until 1989. On March 5, 1989, he began work as the mission developer for Scots Kirk in Summerville, South Carolina. When the church was organized in 1996 he accepted a call to be pastor of that congregation. In 2000 he became the pastor of the Pisgah ARP Church in Gastonia, North Carolina.
In Second Presbytery he was Moderator, director of Jr. High youth work, and a member of the Minister and His Work Committee. He was a member and secretary of the Board of Directors of the Due West Retirement Center. In Catawba Presbytery he was chairman of the Christian Education Committee and a member of the Commission on the Minister and His Work. He has been chairman of the Board of Dunlap Orphanage and chairman of the Board of Christian Education. He has served on the Board of Outreach North America and the Bonclarken Board. In First Presbytery he served as chairman of the Church Extension Committee and two terms on the Minister and His Work Committee.
His community service has included being president of the Laurens, S.C. Lions Club, vice president of the Briarwood Civic Association, Summerville Elementary PTO (Helping Hands Director and President), Rotary Club member, Dorchester County School District 2 Strategic Planning Task Force, and Co-President of the Chapel Grove Elementary PTA.
On June 26, 1982 he married Belinda Gail Sellers of Bartow. Fla. Their children are Rebekah Kennedy, Rachel Vaughn and Miriam Renwick; and they have 4 grandchildren.
He enjoys fishing, snow skiing, hunting, and woodworking.
Born in Gastonia, North Carolina, Bobby grew up in his childhood home under the shadow of Crowder’s Mountain. He came to know Christ after attending a VBS at Pisgah ARP Church where he later participated in the Youth Group programs. He attended Hunter Huss High School before graduating from Erskine College in 2013 with a B.A. in Christian Education.
He attended Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte while he and his family lived in Greenville, SC. In Greenville, Bobby served as the Youth Intern at Greenville ARP Church. After a few years, he transferred to Erskine Theological Seminary. As he was taking classes at ETS, Bobby worked as the Director of Admissions for Erskine College.
Bobby returned to vocational ministry by accepting the position of Church Program Coordinator at Pisgah ARP Church in December of 2018. He continued taking classes at ETS until he graduated with his M.Div in May of 2019.
Pisgah ARP Church called Bobby as the Associate Minister of Christian Education in August of 2022 where he currently serves.
Bobby married his wife, Becca, on December 21, 2013. They have four beautiful children, Adelaide (Addie), William, Lillian (Lily), and Connor Rose.
He enjoys fishing, hunting, table-top gaming, and golfing.