Robert C. Gage
Encyclopedia
Robert Clifford "Bob" Gage (born November 20, 1941) is a Baptist
minister and Christian
author
, who in 2000 became the pastor
of the historic First Baptist Church in the City of New York
at Broadway
and West 79th Street. He resigned from the position effective September 9, 2007.
Gage was born in Beverly, Massachusetts
to George V. Gage (1908-1994) and the former Elizabeth B. May (1910-2000). As a teenager, Gage surrendered to Jesus Christ to accept the call of ministry. After high school
, he first attended Tennessee Temple University
in Chattanooga
from 1961 to 1962. He transferred to the Philadelphia Biblical University
(then Philadelphia College of the Bible) in Langhorne, Pennsylvania
. There he received the bachelor of science
degree in Bible in 1964. From 1966-1967, he attended Palmer Seminary in Philadelphia
(then known as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary). He thereater received his doctorate
in religion
from Newport University
in Newport Beach, California
. He also studied psychology
at The New School
in Greenwich Village
in New York from 1975-1976.
In 1964, Gage was ordained by the conservative General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
and became pastor for a year of the Whitehall Baptist Church in Philadelphia
. He has held various pastorates, including First Baptist Church of Hackensack, New Jersey
, and the Wealthy Street Baptist Church
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
, where he served from 1979-1988. From 1988 to 1991, Gage was staff evangelist for Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple University
in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1991, Gage accepted the pastorate of the Haven Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida
. He also became the administrator of the Haven Christian Academy in 1996. In Hackensack, he had been the founding superintendent of the Hackensack Christian School. He left Florida after nine years to become pastor of the New York City congregation.
A prolific author, Gage founded the Christian Writers League in 1996. He has also done radio
broadcasts and authors a newspaper
column entitled Personal Problem Clinic.
Among his books are the following:
The Birthmarks of the Christian Life (1976)
Our Life in Christ (1978)
The Pastor's Counseling Workbook (1983)
The Pre-Marriage Counseling Workbook (1984)
Cultivating Spiritual Fruit
Discipleship Evangelism
Basic Discipleship
Why Me, Lord?
Gage is also a leader in the Sword and Shields Ministries and Publications. He stresses faith in Christ, biblical tenets, missions, evangelism
, and diverse culture. Regular attendees at FBC in New York come from some twenty-six different countries.
On June 17, 1961, Gage married the former Mary Neefe. The couple has five children.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, who in 2000 became the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the historic First Baptist Church in the City of New York
First Baptist Church in the City of New York
The First Baptist Church in the City of New York is a Christian congregation based in a sanctuary built in 1891 at the intersection of Broadway and West 79th Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York at the 79th Street subway station...
at Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
and West 79th Street. He resigned from the position effective September 9, 2007.
Gage was born in Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
to George V. Gage (1908-1994) and the former Elizabeth B. May (1910-2000). As a teenager, Gage surrendered to Jesus Christ to accept the call of ministry. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, he first attended Tennessee Temple University
Tennessee Temple University
Tennessee Temple University is a four-year private Christian university, with its focus on liberal arts education, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Operating there, also, is Temple Baptist Seminary, the university's graduate school of Christian theology....
in Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
from 1961 to 1962. He transferred to the Philadelphia Biblical University
Philadelphia Biblical University
Philadelphia Biblical University, formerly called Philadelphia College of Bible, is a school located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania founded in 1913. Every undergraduate student graduates with a Bachelor's degree in Bible. In addition, students may work towards a dual degree, such as Business,...
(then Philadelphia College of the Bible) in Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Langhorne is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,622 at the 2010 census.The name "Langhorne" is used broadly to describe the majority of surrounding Middletown Township, which for the most part uses Langhorne's zip code of 19047...
. There he received the bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Bible in 1964. From 1966-1967, he attended Palmer Seminary in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
(then known as Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary). He thereater received his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
from Newport University
Newport University (California)
Newport University is a private university located in Newport Beach, California. It was founded in 1976 and was licensed by the former State of California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education...
in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. He also studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
in New York from 1975-1976.
In 1964, Gage was ordained by the conservative General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches is one of several Baptist groups in North America retaining the name "Regular Baptist"....
and became pastor for a year of the Whitehall Baptist Church in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He has held various pastorates, including First Baptist Church of Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
, and the Wealthy Street Baptist Church
Wealthy Street Baptist Church
Wealthy Park Baptist Church is an American church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.-History:Originally known as the Wealthy Avenue Baptist Church, the congregation called Oliver Willis Van Osdel to become its pastor in 1909...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, where he served from 1979-1988. From 1988 to 1991, Gage was staff evangelist for Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple University
Tennessee Temple University
Tennessee Temple University is a four-year private Christian university, with its focus on liberal arts education, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Operating there, also, is Temple Baptist Seminary, the university's graduate school of Christian theology....
in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1991, Gage accepted the pastorate of the Haven Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
. He also became the administrator of the Haven Christian Academy in 1996. In Hackensack, he had been the founding superintendent of the Hackensack Christian School. He left Florida after nine years to become pastor of the New York City congregation.
A prolific author, Gage founded the Christian Writers League in 1996. He has also done radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcasts and authors a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
column entitled Personal Problem Clinic.
Among his books are the following:
The Birthmarks of the Christian Life (1976)
Our Life in Christ (1978)
The Pastor's Counseling Workbook (1983)
The Pre-Marriage Counseling Workbook (1984)
Cultivating Spiritual Fruit
Discipleship Evangelism
Basic Discipleship
Why Me, Lord?
Gage is also a leader in the Sword and Shields Ministries and Publications. He stresses faith in Christ, biblical tenets, missions, evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, and diverse culture. Regular attendees at FBC in New York come from some twenty-six different countries.
On June 17, 1961, Gage married the former Mary Neefe. The couple has five children.