Wisdom and a warm smile have been at the center of his ministry for the past 43 years. Now the Rev. Dr. William Dobbs enters into retirement and new opportunities to offer the mind and the love of God. ~MIC photo/John Woodring
M. KAY DeMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area
He pastored five churches in the West Michigan Conference then served as the Superintendent of the Central-Heartland District. Since 2010 he has walked beside two episcopal leaders as the Clergy Assistant to Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton and Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey. And now the Rev. Dr. William D. Dobbs has retired, launching into a season of life and ministry he calls “Sabbath.” For the past several years Bill blogged under the banner, Burning Questions. Now as he and his wife, Jan, begin a summer of rest at Sandy Pines near Hopkins, MI, MIConnect asks Bill to have a go at these last ten “burning questions.” His answers offer a window into his spirit and devotion to his God.
10. When did you first know God had plans for you? I had my first sense of God’s call on my life at church camp. I was at the old Port Huron camp (now Lake Huron Retreat Center) and believed that God had gifted me and was calling me to be a preacher. That camp still tugs at my heart every time I go back and it was the number one reason why I wanted to return to my home conference in retirement. The “sunrise” side of the lake is still a special place for me. 9. What was the biggest challenge in responding to that call? I spoke to a pastor (whose name I have forgotten), a counselor at that camp, about my sense of call. His response stuck with me for years. He said that, “I should avoid the ministry if it was at all possible!” Well, I now suspect that he was trying to say that such a call must be compelling beyond resistance, but for a sixth grader that was a clear message from God that I should consider some other line of work. So I went home from camp and began to concentrate on my music. After graduating from High School in Cass City, I went to MSU and majored in music education. It was only later, while teaching music and driver education in Potterville, that I heard that still, small voice again calling me to consider the set-aside ministry of the Elder as a life work. 8. Who in the scripture has been a model for you? I experienced a whole new sense of call the day I read Luke 15 and the story of the Forgiving Father and Prodigal Son in the translation of the New Testament called “Good News for Modern Man.” It changed my life in a heartbeat and has been my go-to text ever since. I am still moved to tears every time I think of that father leaping off the porch and running to embrace his wayward child and welcome the child home! At the end of the day, that is the role I believe the Church should embody in this wayward world. 7. What joys have you experienced as a dad? I have said this publically, on more than one occasion, so it will come as no surprise when I say that being a dad has been my life’s greatest joy! I have enjoyed every day of these 43 years in pastoral ministry, but nothing I have done or experienced can equal the joy I have felt as I have watched our children grow and blossom into adults. Some of them your readers will know and some of them they will not, but I can tell you that I am proud of each one of them for the people they have become. At the end of life, that is how I hope to be remembered: as a good and faithful husband, father, and follower of Jesus. What else can I say? 6. What is your deepest fear for The United Methodist Church? My deepest fear is for the “united” part. I am afraid that we will lose our way arguing over details and forget the One who has called us and equipped us to “fish for people!” And our bickering will keep people from hearing about their Father’s love or see the “welcome home” in our embrace. 5. What is your greatest hope for The United Methodist Church? My hope is always that we will remember our call and how we are better together than we are apart! I hope and long for the day when all people will experience our doors and our hearts and minds as open and welcoming! 4. How has your faith been influenced by your travels? I have been to Israel three times, beginning when I was in my first student appointment at West Mendon and the congregation thought that a trip to the place where Jesus walked was an important part of Jan’s and my training to be a couple in pastoral ministry. Each time I have been back it has brought me closer to Jesus, and more aware of how our human sinfulness can keep us apart. They are building walls there now, but there have always been walls between the people of the Holy Land and, for that matter, the world. We are still called to tear down the walls which divide us and only Christ’s love will make that possible. 3. What memory, from your time as Bishop’s Assistant, makes you smile? Seeing what these two conferences can do when they put their minds, their wills, and their resources together. A wonderful new Area Ministry Center and now this new Conference which will be unfolding in the years ahead are just two examples of this excitement which comes from synergy and cooperation. These things make me smile, but so do the memories of all the people I have met and worked with along the way. At the end of the day, these are the real blessings of this office. 2. What expectations do you have for this Sabbath time? Rest, a little fishing, more rest, a little golf, even more rest, and the chance to work on the ministry of the baptized which we all share! But the best part will be to discover what God has in store for the two of us. I am sure that we have not seen all that is to come, but I know that it will be a blessing so I just can’t wait! 1. How do you know that God isn’t done with you yet? Because I’m still here, and as long as I have breath and a mind, I am sure that God has something yet in store for me to discover. That’s what makes getting up in the morning such a joy!
Godspeed, Brother Bill. We look forward to meeting you again … on the lake, on the golf course, and at other stations along Christ’s way.
Last Updated on June 30, 2015