Meet Our Pastor
Senior Pastor: Rev Robert S Oliver Jr.
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Pastor Bobby and his wife Sherri have been serving Baring Baptist Church since January 2014. He has committed his life to serving God in reaching the lost. His heart throb is seeing others commit their lives to Jesus and see born again believers grow in their walk with Jesus.
Pastor Bobby and Sherri have five children: Alan, Alex, Shaelyn, Aaron and Leah.
When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You,
‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ Psalm 27:8
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Since childhood Bobby has wanted to serve God with his life, yet, there were times in his late teen years that he fell away from his First love. But God, in His grace and mercy quickly drew Bobby back to a complete surrender to His will.
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On the morning September 11th 2001 our world changed forever, and it was while Bobby was sitting at a school desk, with his eyes fixed on the TV monitor, seeing what terrorism had just done to our country, that Bobby answered our wounded nation’s call to serve and protect. During his senior year of high school Bobby signed over the first 6 years of his adulthood to the U.S. Army, promising 3 years of active duty service, and another 3 of guard duty.
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Following his graduation from Calais High School, Bobby deployed to Baghdad Iraq. He served both God and Country in the warzone for 15 long months as a Chaplain Assistant and is now a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Upon his return stateside, Bobby’s active duty contract was complete and he began his three-year contract with the Army National Guard. With more time now to pursue a higher education, and a renewed desire for complete surrender to the Lord, Bobby enrolled in both Andersonville Theological Seminary and Liberty University, and started working toward full time ministry.
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Although Bobby met his wife, Sherri, at the start of his military carrier, their relationship didn’t start until the year following his return from Iraq. They had a very quick courtship and engagement and were married during his Sophomore year at Liberty university. Sherri was an alumnus of Word of Life Bible Institute, having had attended immediately after high school.
With a new family to support, Bobby started working at Bangor Savings Bank, in Calais, ME. While employed at the bank, Bobby thought it best to take some classes in banking and eventually earned his Associates in Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management, from the New England College of Business and Finance.
Bobby continued to work at the bank, while he and Sherri both attended Seminary via correspondence classes. They were busy raising a growing family, and they were very active in their local church. Eventually, Bobby graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelors in Science in Religion, and they both graduated from Andersonville Theological Seminary; Bobby with a Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Ministry and Sherri with an Associates in Biblical Studies.
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Shortly after their college graduations, Bobby’s contract with the Army National Guard was also complete. At this point Bobby and Sherri were earnestly praying for direction. Bobby was on a good career path at the bank and enjoyed his employment there, but the desire to Pastor was overwhelming.
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In the summer of 2013 Bobby felt God opening his heart to the idea of returning to his childhood church, as a Pastor. Since he was happily serving as a Deacon in his hometown church, and Baring Baptist (his childhood church) already had a Pastor, with no need for another, this heart-tug to Baring was confusing. He and Sherri committed this calling to private prayer, every day begging God for answers. Several weeks later they heard that BBC’s pastor had submitted his resignation. Believing that God, in His foreknowledge, had been preparing them to enter the ministry at BBC, yet, wanting to be sure that their desire to serve at BBC was truly from the Lord, Bobby decided NOT to peruse the Pastorate there, and simply to wait on the Lord. (Sherri suggested that he reach out to the church, expressing interest in the Pastorate, but he told her “God knows I’m interested, and that’s enough. Have faith, if this is His will, it will happen.”) Shortly thereafter the BBC leadership contacted Bobby asking if he and Sherri would be willing to meet with them to discuss the Pastorate. From that moment they were both fully committed to serving the Lord together at BBC. God had clearly directed, and they would follow. The church voted to received Bobby as their Pastor in December of 2013 and the first Sunday of 2014 was the beginning of their ministry at BBC. In August of that same year, Pastor Bobby was Ordained to the Work of the Gospel Ministry, by a counsel comprised of the Southern Baptist Director of Missions, four Baptist Ministers and four Deacons.
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God has blessed Pastor Oliver and Sherri with five children: Alan, Alex, Shaelyn, Aaron and Leah. In addition to homeschooling their children, Sherri serves alongside her husband at the church, by leading the children’s and women’s ministries. She is gifted in music and organization and uses those skills for the Lords glory. Pastor Bobby is a loving shepherd to the church. He holds firmly to the word of God, and preaches with boldness. He is a compassionate minister and dearly loves the local church that God has entrusted to Him. Pastor Bobby’s life verse is Psalm 27:8 “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’.”