Biography: Rev. Robert "Bob" Davis

My name is Bob Davis. I am seeking election as the Stated Clerk of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the 216 th General Assembly (2004). I live in
Escondido, California (San Diego Presbytery, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii). I am married to Jennifer. We have three girls, Kaley (15), Brooke (13), and Abigail (5). I am 39 years old.

Formal Education:
My formal education includes a B.A. in American Studies from Dickinson
College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1986 and a J.D. degree from Indiana University School of Law -- Indianapolis in 1989. I made Law Review and served as the Business Manager for Volume 22 of the Indiana School of Law–
Indianapolis Law Review.

Presbyterian Church History and Involvement
I am a lifelong Presbyterian. I grew up in Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania (Donegal Presbytery, Synod of the Trinity). There I was confirmed and professed Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior as part of 9 th grade confirmation class. I was part of the Donegal Presbytery delegation to the first Youth Triennium in Bloomington, Indiana. When I moved to Indiana for law school, my membership was transferred to Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis (Whitewater Valley Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails). At Second Presbyterian, I was ordained as a Deacon. It was during my time at Second Presbyterian that I discerned a call to pursue ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.

I attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. During my time at Fuller, I served as intern and assistant to the pastor at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church from 1996 to 2000 (La Crescenta, California, San
Fernando Presbytery, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii). In 1996 and 1997 I was a staff member of the Genevans, an organization within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) dedicated to helping commissioners to General
Assembly understand the process.

Since 1997, I have served as the Executive Director of the Presbyterian Forum, a renewal organization within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Forum has worked for reformation and renewal by providing regular updates
with information, training, updates and analyses of the events taking place within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

I also serve as an associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Escondido, California, where I was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in 2001. W ithin San Diego Presbytery, I am Moderator of the Ecclesiastical Committee and am a member of the Presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission. After the wildfires in October, 2003, I was asked to moderate San Diego Presbytery’s Disaster Assistance Relief Team.

Other Relevant Employment:
From 1989 to 1995 I was an attorney in Indianapolis. I served as an attorney for the Indiana Department of Insurance under (then-Governor) Evan Bayh before entering private practice as a trial lawyer focusing on plaintiff’s
medical negligence law.

Personal Statement
Understanding God’s call in my life has involved times of nudging, prayer, wrestling, and discernment. This call to seek election as Stated Clerk was a long process. For several years, friends around the country have dropped
hints. My phone rings whenever there are questions about process. People have talked about “God will use the things you learned as an attorney…” Well, that is nice to hear, but it was my sense that God is using the things I
learned as an attorney.

Then, last year, I began talking with people regarding the Stated Clerk election. It is an important job. The Stated Clerk plays a major role in maintaining the health of the denomination and the current trends within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are not encouraging. For example, we lost 40,000 members last year; there is a widening gap among factions within the church and with denominational officials; and the covenant among us has weakened. We’ve lost our identity and the Stated Clerk is a major player in establishing what that identity is. Though I was seeking other names, people kept telling me that I was their first choice.

That’s where prayer comes into play. Prayer is not like buying a book on-line. It’s not like you simply click to www.God.com, search for “answers to prayers”, and view your results. Seeking God often takes time. I pondered whether this was something God wanted me to do. So, last spring and summer, I went to God asking, “Is this something you want me to do?” We talked about it as a family. I was relieved that I did not sense God answering, “yes.” OK. Case closed. Or, so I thought.

I went to the Presbyterian Coalition’s Gathering in Portland last fall to speak and to see friends. I was surprised by how many people -- unconnected to each other and at various times -- urged me to seek election. At first, I answered that I had prayerfully considered it and had not discerned God calling me. When the conversations continued to come up, I offered to re-commit the matter to prayer. I also asked the others to pray for me.

I came home and went to God asking, “Is this something you want me to do?” My family and I still did not discern God answering, “yes.” This time, however, there was a sense God might call me to seek election at some time, but
not right now. OK. Case closed, again. Or, so I thought.

Then, fires hit Southern California in late October. I thought, “This is one of the reasons why God doesn’t want me to throw my hat in the ring.” After Thanksgiving, my focus was on preparing for Christmas. God’s focus was in putting this decision squarely before me. I could not shake it. I prayed, “God, you said, ‘not now.’” (For what it’s worth, I’ve found that trying to pin God down on things like this rarely works.) It occurred to me that “not now” may not have been a multi-year instruction. Perhaps I’m not the first guy to make eternal something God intended for a limited time only.

I went back to the people I asked to pray for me. They all confirmed that they discerned I have the gifts to do the job well. As for timing, none could answer if “now” was the time. As a family, we went back and forth through the
Christmas time. We reflected on how much we love it here. That’s when the convicting question came to me:

“Would you be willing to give all this up for my sake?” It wasn’t a question for me any longer.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of affirmation and offers of help. Winning is not an issue for me; that is God’s business. My walk of obedience is to give my all to the task God has set before me.

Finally, discerning God’s will isn’t over now. It remains a day-to-day vocation of joy. Certainly, July 2 will be a 21 st century version of a blinding light experience – the electronic screens will show the results of the votes made by commissioners. I recognize that’s rare. It may be the only time in my life when God’s will to be expressed with instant clarity. Regardless of the outcome, I can say with confidence, “God is good, all the time.”

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