BENTONVILLE - Bill Rogers, senior pastor of Word of Life Fellowship in Bentonville for the past 30 years, doesn’t describe himself as very religious.
“I want to be relaxed, not religious. ‘Religious’ is kind of starchy,” he said.
He doesn’t even describe himself as a professional pastor.
“My whole life is more about doing what God wants me to do,” Rogers said. “If he tells me tomorrow he wants me to do something else, then that’s what I’ll do.”
He does describe himself as a preacher of the uncompromising truth.
“I’m gonna give you the truth. … The truth will set you free, not my ideas,” he said.
Following the word of God is first and foremost for Rogers, but following denominational rules is not a priority, he said.
Word of Life is a charismatic congregation that began as Haven of Rest Tabernacle, a Pentecostal congregation. The church changed its name in 1986, three years after Rogers took up the pulpit, to reflect the direction the leadership wanted to take the church.
“We believe basically the same thing, but Pentecostals are more traditional,” Rogers said. “They have a lot of rules. … But then I discovered one day the Bible simply says Imust be born again to go to heaven.”
He was quick to add not following rules isn’t a free pass to sinning.
WORKING IN HARMONY
Rogers, a lifelong Bentonville resident and a 1966 graduate of Bentonville High School, grew up in the church he now leads. His father was pastor at Haven of Rest until 1982, the year before Rogers took over.
“I think, subconsciously, I knew I would do some kind of ministry,” he said. He had always been involved in the church, whether teaching Sunday school classes or leading the congregation in music, he said. A singer and guitarist, Rogers’ life has alwaysincluded music. His mother taught him, his siblings and father to play guitar, he said.
The congregation’s celebration of Rogers’ three decades as senior pastor May 12 included special music from Rogers’ nieces and brother.
His love for music makes for a harmonious relationship with current worship leader James Baker.
“I’ve never felt more supported in doing what I feel like we need to be doing,” said Baker. “We are of like minds and like beliefs. We work really well together.”
Baker has worked with Rogers for at least 28 of the 30 years he’s been senior pastor, Baker said.
“He’s always been a man of his word. I’ve never seen him stray. … To have someone I personally can work with for that long in ministry - those long relationships are few and far between,” Baker said.
Dave Bishop, a church member who serves on the church’s financial board, has known Rogers only for about four years, but his assessment of Rogers is in line with Baker’s.
“He’s just a man of God,” Bishop said. “He reaches people strictly through the word of God. … To have that much longevity, you have to preach and teach the word of God and stick to that.” REACHING OUT
Mission work is close to Rogers’ heart, he said. His first mission trip was to Guatemala, where he saidhe developed a “fondness for the Hispanic people.” Since that first trip, he’s visited Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and South Africa. He will travel to Peru again next month for a ministerial conference with about 1 , 200 other pastors.
Rogers’ fondness for the Hispanic people and the church’s desire to help people in its own community led to the opening of Iglesia Palabra De Vida, the Hispanic congregation of Word of Life, last July to reach the Hispanic population in Northwest Arkansas. That worship service is led by Miguel Carbajal.
“It’s a major accomplishment. For years, I really felt like it was God’s will, and it finally happened,” Rogers said.
The church has pioneered and supports about five or six churches in Mexico,he added.
SLOWING DOWN
Rogers spends his down time traveling with his wife, Beverly, in their motor home. He also enjoys fi shing, something he picked up on his wife’s advice.
“I am a little bit of an uptight person. I used to be much more. I hold everything in. My wife told me a few years ago, ‘You need a hobby or something where you can relax,’” he said. That’s when he bought the motor home and discovered trout fi shing.
Rogers said he used to be concerned about what people thought about him, too, but that’s not the case anymore.
“He’s more fun and not stressed out. It opens him up to be a better minister,” Baker said.
Coming through openheart surgery eight years ago also has helped Rogers, 64, relax, but it hasn’t slowed him down.
He said retirement is on hismind, but the transition likely will be slow and begin in the next three to four years. He may do mission work for a year or two, but Bentonvilleand Word of Life will always be his home, he said.
“This is my family. … I will always be a part of this church.”
Religion, Pages 8 on 05/25/2013