WHO IN THE WORLD IS ROBERT HEIL?
Robert Heil is a 76 year old (at the time of this writing) pre-tired preacher who preached for 48 years.
I have a BS degree in Education from Abilene Christian University and a MS degree with a focus on gerontology that I received years later. I was doing graduate work at Texas Tech University when a small church in Stockdale, Texas was looking for a pulpit minister. I was a schoolteacher at the time. I had grown up in that area and was not a stranger to that congregation. Short story, there I was 48 years ago standing behind a pulpit and doing what I had desired since my even youngest years. If you knew me, you would have to say that GOD had to be involved. Of course, that was back in 75 or 76, when things were done a lot differently.
All of that to say I am not one of the highly educated preachers among our churches. After several years preaching I started taking those short week long courses in Bible at ACU, non-track, studies of my choice. As mentioned, I also received a MS degree from ACU with a focus on gerontology. I was 59 at the time. As we all know, we have a lot of aging congregations. This will be a major concern in this web site.
There was an old man in that first congregation where I preached, (J D Witten – 87 years old) who once described preaching as blindly putting your hand in a box and taking hold of the tail of a tiger and not knowing what you had hold of. I guess you had to know Brother Witten to understand he was trying to say that preaching is far more than any of us could have imagined. Wonder, surprise, amazement, disappointments, Elijah in a cave, Moses at the burning bush, Abraham following blindly, Paul asking GOD 3 times and being denied, Peter, James, and John standing in amazement at the transfiguration OR! falling asleep in the garden, young Mark failing but trying again, Jesus who more than once was asked to leave. Truly, preaching has been more than any of us could imagine. Maybe Brother Witten should have said the tail of a “Lion.” But I remain today the same as that 27 year old “boy” that GOD gave a chance – I am so thankful.
I write all these things so as to guide you as you read my thoughts and teachings on this site.
The other great thing that GOD did for me was the wife he gave me. Barbara Whatley was her name before we married. She was from Dallas, and I was from a little town you’ve never heard of. We met and married while attending ACU. They say love is blind, and I believe it. GOD blinded her. She is extremely intelligent and talented. Her IQ is above 130 and she has not only managed our household all these years (55 yrs) but she was a school teacher and was designated Teacher of the Year on three occasions, at two different schools. But that’s not what is most outstanding. What is most outstanding about her is something said to me, about ME, at one of the churches we preached for.
I was told, “Son, you married above your station.”
You are a very fortunate preacher if that is ever said of you.
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