Rev. Dr. Richard Bush
Rev. Dr. Richard Bush served as a local church pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance for thirty-one years. Subsequently, he was been involved in leadership development, serving the Alliance at the national level as Director of Church Development. In 1996, motivated by a deep concern for assisting and developing local church pastors, he accepted an invitation to move closer to the action by joining the staff in the New England District where he was elected District Superintendent, a position he served for 12 ½ years.
Richard attended St. Paul Bible College (now Crown College, St. Bonifacius, Minnesota) for three years and then transferred to the University of Nebraska where he completed a BA in Reformation History. He began graduate work in biblical studies at Wheaton College, with an emphasis in Old Testament and then went on to complete a Masters in Sacred Theology in the Urban Ministries Program at New York Theological Seminary. He earned his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1989. Richard was employed by the Christian and Missionary Alliance as Director of Coach Training until 2019. He took a LIFE-on-life approach to preparing leaders for the 21st Century Church. His concern was that most continuing education for church leaders is performance based—focused on outward appearance. While he acknowledged that performance cannot be ignored, he believed we must address the vacuum that exists beneath the surface in the areas of the heart, soul, mind, strength and love for others (Mark 12:30-31). Richard held the conviction that until Christ is formed in us, in those we lead, and in those they will lead (Galatians 4:19), even the most sophisticated training falls short of the mark. His team is working to develop church leaders whose lives reflect the transforming grace and power of “Christ in me.” Richard Ellis Bush departed this world on June 25, 2020 at the age of 81. |
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