Bob was born at St. Luke’s Hospital in Utica, NY in 1942. He grew up in Whitesboro and graduated from Whitesboro High School in 1959, after which he served in the Air Force for four years. While in the Air Force, Bob married Margaret in 1962, and they have three children (Tanya, Dana and Shawn) and six grandchildren. He graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1976 and worked at General Electric for 27 years.
In 1979, Bob felt something spiritual was missing in his life. He describes this feeling like it seemed that what was being asked of him as a Christian was nothing compared to what Jesus had done for him. He knew he couldn’t repay the great debt he owed Jesus, but it seemed that he should be able to do better. Bob decided to look for a church family that was doing what the New Testament asked Christians to do. He found that church family at the Church of Christ on Herkimer Road; these were people who were trying to be obedient to the Word of God. They weren’t perfect, but they were trying to be what God asked them to be.
In 1980, Bob was baptized by immersion into the Church of Christ at Utica, New York and became one of the imperfect members in need of God’s grace there. In 1987 he was appointed an elder in the church. In 1991 through 1992 he served as an apprentice under the preacher at the time, John Featherstone, and in 1993 the church ordained Bob as their preacher where he served until he retired in 2004.
Bob lives in Whitesboro with his wife of 46 years, Margaret. He enjoys watching sports, reading mysteries, golf, genealogy and mostly his family. His favorite teams are any from New York, especially Syracuse.
Robert Shaver - Evangelist
Rob was born in Albany, New York in March 1982. He had a wonderful childhood, save a couple of disagreements with his sisters and the day his mom sold their Atari (which he's still a little upset about).
When Rob was in early elementary school, his family started going to a new church. God was becoming a bigger part of their family life. Each of the members of his immediate family became a Christian within a five-year span. In some way, the family really grew up with each other in the Lord.
By high school, Rob says he was "hooked on God". He became a youth group leader. While he had many varied interests, he knew God was calling him to be a minister of His Word.
In September 2000, Rob ended up at Ohio Valley College (now Ohio Valley University). He spent four years there learning more about the Bible, how to read, study, preach, and live God's Word.
Before he even finished at OVU, Rob was hired to preach at the Church of Christ in Utica NY (in May 2004). That same summer, his deep friendship with Cassie James turned romantic. They were on the same page in terms of what they wanted to do for God and where they felt He was calling them to be. Soon, they discovered He was calling them to do it together.
Rob and Cassie were married on Clearwater Beach, Florida on June 1, 2005. They live in East Utica with their two dogs and a constant flow of houseguests. A true New Yorker, he's a fan of the Giants, the Mets, and the Knicks.
He has his own website, as well: http://www.robdagun.com/
