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Leadership
Without God's help and blessing, any "house" we determine to build will fail. We have His Word on that (Psalm 127:1). And that includes a mental health ministry such as EMERGE. The success of any ministry, therefore, depends first of all on His strength. It also depends in large part on both the Christian commitment and professional skill of its staff members. Leadership of the ministry team that is fulfilling the God-given vision for EMERGE rests with ...
M. Wayne Benson
President of EMERGE Ministries and Chairman of the Board
Wayne Benson is a visionary leader for the 21st Century! He is an articulate speaker, gifted administrator and experienced pastor who communicates a compassionate and compelling message for ministry and the Christian life.
In the fall of 2005 Wayne was elected to serve as President and CEO of Emerge Ministries, a premier Christian counseling center in Akron, Ohio, specializing in helping minister and missionary families. Under the visionary leadership of its founder, Dr. Richard Dobbins, Emerge has been rebuilding lives and training clinicians and pastors for over 30 years. Emerge has been a redemptive force, known in the U.S. and abroad for its compassionate, healing touch upon the lives of ministers, missionaries and their families.
Prior to serving at Emerge, Wayne was elected president of Central Bible College. The singular focus of CBC is “for the training of ministers and missionaries.” The College, which has a distinctive 83-year history with 28,000 alumni serving in more than 80 nations, has made new advances in both academic recognition and field-relevance through the president’s Master Plan. In 2004, the college attained regional accreditation and received over 30 commendations from three accrediting bodies. CBC also experienced new growth under Benson’s administration showing the largest increase in the freshmen class in nine years. In June of 2005, Wayne and Kathy concluded their four-year term at CBC, declining a second term graciously offered by the Board of Directors.
Benson’s experience reaches well beyond academics and administration. During his 25 years as Senior Pastor at Grand Rapids First Assembly of God, the church experienced unprecedented growth: orchestrating a staff of 80 with 13 pastors, housing a school of 750, and leading a congregation from 250 to over 5000 constituents toward spiritual maturity and exciting outreach ministry. In this local venue, Wayne and his wife Kathy discipled well over 300 believers into full-time ministry.
From 1996 to 2000 Wayne gave pro-active, sustaining leadership to a revival that swept through the church with dramatic healings, deliverances, and over 17,000 responding to Christ. Many regional pastors and their members were touched by this move of God.
Following their long-term pastorate at Grand Rapids, Wayne and Kathy launched a new ministry called “Paraclete Ministries”, coming alongside as consultant and mentor to pastors and missionaries in the U.S. and abroad. Paraclete Ministries, continues to expand under both Emerge and CBC. Both institutions provide training and leadership for selected faculty and national pastors. Onsite Paraclete Consultation visits include in-depth mentoring and conclude with a comprehensive report shared with the pastor.
In 2005, CBC’s Center for Pentecostal Praxis was founded in partnership with the Southern Missouri District Council. This center provides to students three streams of opportunity for hands-on training in various types of church leadership, including a church lab, a church planting lab, and a youth ministries lab.
Wayne is proud to be husband to Kathy, father to two married children serving God in fulltime ministry, and grandfather to nine grandchildren.
Dr. Richard D. Dobbins
Founder
Dr. Richard D. Dobbins, Founder and Chairman of the Board. The initial vision for EMERGE Ministries was born 50 years ago in the heart of this man, as a young, itinerant Assemblies of God evangelist. He and his wife, Dolores, found themselves without any source for competent mental health care that would respect their Christian faith when she experienced extreme postpartum depression after the birth of their first child. The Christian world explained her depression as being caused by not "living right" -- not reading the Bible or praying enough. And yet she was totally faithful in her personal devotions and spent hours in prayer and reading Scripture. Secular mental health professionals blamed the depression on her religious beliefs and offered no hope for recovery unless she abandoned her "crazy religion."
God miraculously touched Dolores during her personal devotions one day and marvelously healed her of her depression. However, she had endured that pain for many months. The need for Christian mental health care was something she knew firsthand. It was a burden she shared with her husband until she went to be with the Lord in 1992, following a valiant battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
In 1960, Rev. Dobbins enrolled in a basic undergraduate psychology course at The University of Akron and discovered (1) his aptitude for the classroom and (2) many psychological premises that were in complete agreement with the wisdom of God's Word. This was the beginning of an educational endeavor which led, in 1970, to a doctoral degree in psychology and the State of Ohio licensing exam to practice as a clinical psychologist.
During the years that Dr. Dobbins spent in the classroom, he also pastored a growing Assemblies of God congregation in Akron, Ohio, where the couple had decided to settle. During his 26 years as pastor of that congregation, he saw the church through a concurrent move into larger quarters and merger with another Assemblies of God congregation, and -- some years later -- the construction of a new worship and educational facility.
In 1973, EMERGE Ministries was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in the State of Ohio. There soon followed a move into rented facilities across town from Evangel Temple, the church Dr. Dobbins was still pastoring.
In 1976, Dr. Dobbins felt God directing him to resign as pastor of Evangel Temple and devote all of his professional energies to EMERGE's mental health ministry. This is a task he continues to perform with zeal and dedication "for as long as God gives me health and strength."
Some time after Dolores' homegoing, God brought another wonderful woman into Dr. Dobbins' life and on April 2, 1994, the former Priscilla Adams of Lafayette, Indiana, became Mrs. Richard D. Dobbins. Together, "Doc" and Priscilla are bringing EMERGE into the 21st century with an exciting, expanding vision. He continues to present the good mental health news of the gospel in person, on video and audio tape, and in print.
Leadership
Without God's help and blessing, any "house" we determine to build will fail. We have His Word on that (Psalm 127:1). And that includes a mental health ministry such as EMERGE. The success of any ministry, therefore, depends first of all on His strength. It also depends in large part on both the Christian commitment and professional skill of its staff members. Leadership of the ministry team that is fulfilling the God-given vision for EMERGE rests with ...
M. Wayne BensonPresident of EMERGE Ministries and Chairman of the Board
Wayne Benson is a visionary leader for the 21st Century! He is an articulate speaker, gifted administrator and experienced pastor who communicates a compassionate and compelling message for ministry and the Christian life.
In the fall of 2005 Wayne was elected to serve as President and CEO of Emerge Ministries, a premier Christian counseling center in Akron, Ohio, specializing in helping minister and missionary families. Under the visionary leadership of its founder, Dr. Richard Dobbins, Emerge has been rebuilding lives and training clinicians and pastors for over 30 years. Emerge has been a redemptive force, known in the U.S. and abroad for its compassionate, healing touch upon the lives of ministers, missionaries and their families.
Prior to serving at Emerge, Wayne was elected president of Central Bible College. The singular focus of CBC is “for the training of ministers and missionaries.” The College, which has a distinctive 83-year history with 28,000 alumni serving in more than 80 nations, has made new advances in both academic recognition and field-relevance through the president’s Master Plan. In 2004, the college attained regional accreditation and received over 30 commendations from three accrediting bodies. CBC also experienced new growth under Benson’s administration showing the largest increase in the freshmen class in nine years. In June of 2005, Wayne and Kathy concluded their four-year term at CBC, declining a second term graciously offered by the Board of Directors.
Benson’s experience reaches well beyond academics and administration. During his 25 years as Senior Pastor at Grand Rapids First Assembly of God, the church experienced unprecedented growth: orchestrating a staff of 80 with 13 pastors, housing a school of 750, and leading a congregation from 250 to over 5000 constituents toward spiritual maturity and exciting outreach ministry. In this local venue, Wayne and his wife Kathy discipled well over 300 believers into full-time ministry.
From 1996 to 2000 Wayne gave pro-active, sustaining leadership to a revival that swept through the church with dramatic healings, deliverances, and over 17,000 responding to Christ. Many regional pastors and their members were touched by this move of God.
Following their long-term pastorate at Grand Rapids, Wayne and Kathy launched a new ministry called “Paraclete Ministries”, coming alongside as consultant and mentor to pastors and missionaries in the U.S. and abroad. Paraclete Ministries, continues to expand under both Emerge and CBC. Both institutions provide training and leadership for selected faculty and national pastors. Onsite Paraclete Consultation visits include in-depth mentoring and conclude with a comprehensive report shared with the pastor.
In 2005, CBC’s Center for Pentecostal Praxis was founded in partnership with the Southern Missouri District Council. This center provides to students three streams of opportunity for hands-on training in various types of church leadership, including a church lab, a church planting lab, and a youth ministries lab.
Wayne is proud to be husband to Kathy, father to two married children serving God in fulltime ministry, and grandfather to nine grandchildren.
Dr. Richard D. Dobbins
Founder
Dr. Richard D. Dobbins, Founder and Chairman of the Board. The initial vision for EMERGE Ministries was born 50 years ago in the heart of this man, as a young, itinerant Assemblies of God evangelist. He and his wife, Dolores, found themselves without any source for competent mental health care that would respect their Christian faith when she experienced extreme postpartum depression after the birth of their first child. The Christian world explained her depression as being caused by not "living right" -- not reading the Bible or praying enough. And yet she was totally faithful in her personal devotions and spent hours in prayer and reading Scripture. Secular mental health professionals blamed the depression on her religious beliefs and offered no hope for recovery unless she abandoned her "crazy religion."
God miraculously touched Dolores during her personal devotions one day and marvelously healed her of her depression. However, she had endured that pain for many months. The need for Christian mental health care was something she knew firsthand. It was a burden she shared with her husband until she went to be with the Lord in 1992, following a valiant battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
In 1960, Rev. Dobbins enrolled in a basic undergraduate psychology course at The University of Akron and discovered (1) his aptitude for the classroom and (2) many psychological premises that were in complete agreement with the wisdom of God's Word. This was the beginning of an educational endeavor which led, in 1970, to a doctoral degree in psychology and the State of Ohio licensing exam to practice as a clinical psychologist.
During the years that Dr. Dobbins spent in the classroom, he also pastored a growing Assemblies of God congregation in Akron, Ohio, where the couple had decided to settle. During his 26 years as pastor of that congregation, he saw the church through a concurrent move into larger quarters and merger with another Assemblies of God congregation, and -- some years later -- the construction of a new worship and educational facility.
In 1973, EMERGE Ministries was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in the State of Ohio. There soon followed a move into rented facilities across town from Evangel Temple, the church Dr. Dobbins was still pastoring.
In 1976, Dr. Dobbins felt God directing him to resign as pastor of Evangel Temple and devote all of his professional energies to EMERGE's mental health ministry. This is a task he continues to perform with zeal and dedication "for as long as God gives me health and strength."
Some time after Dolores' homegoing, God brought another wonderful woman into Dr. Dobbins' life and on April 2, 1994, the former Priscilla Adams of Lafayette, Indiana, became Mrs. Richard D. Dobbins. Together, "Doc" and Priscilla are bringing EMERGE into the 21st century with an exciting, expanding vision. He continues to present the good mental health news of the gospel in person, on video and audio tape, and in print.
EMERGE Ministries, Inc. • 900 Mull Avenue • Akron OH 44313 
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