Bob Ekblad is director of Tierra Nueva and The People’s Seminary in Burlington, Washington. A minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he holds a ThD in Old Testament and is known internationally for his courses and workshops on reading the Bible. He is married to Gracie who serves as co-director of Tierra Nueva and is a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Together they minister both at Tierra Nueva and at their home-based retreat center New Earth Refuge. They have three children ages 19, 17 and 15.
As Directors of Tierra Nueva-New Earth, Bob and Gracie work together with a team of staff and volunteers to serve immigrants from Latin America, inmates, homeless people and people struggling with addictions. Bob’s roles include serving as part-time chaplain to inmates in Skagit County Jail, teaching as Sessional Lecturer for Regent College of Vancouver, BC and serving as core Biblical Studies faculty at Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle and Westminster Theological Centre in the UK. See Bob and Gracie’s current role description.
Training current pastoral workers and future leaders to minister to people on the margins of society is one of Bob’s highest priorities. One of Bob’s core values is that theological reflection and teaching be rooted in hands-on ministry to the poor and marginalized. The “vineyard” that produces the “wine” that is dispensed through teaching and itinerant ministry is Tierra Nueva’s day to day ministry to inmates in the local jail, advocacy and accompaniment alongside immigrants and ex-offenders through the Family Support Center and pastoral support of participants in TN’s weekly Spanish and English congregations and regular trips to Honduras. 15 half-time Honduran lay pastors serve peasants in Tierra Nueva Honduras. The People’s Seminary is TN’s ministry training center for pastors, theology students and lay people.
Bob and his wife Gracie founded Tierra Nueva in Honduras in 1982, which began as a sustainable farming and preventive health program and grass-roots Bible study movement. In 1989 they moved to France to pursue studies in theology. They both completed their Masters if Theology from the Institut Protestant de Théologie in Montpellier. Bob completed his Doctorat in Theology with and emphasis in Old Testament with Daniel Bourguet. Bob has been member of the French Fraternité Espirituelle Les Veilleurs since 1992. Bob currently pastors, teaches courses in Scripture and ministry, leads retreats and oversees Tierra Nueva. He has written The Theology of the Septuagint of Isaiah According to the Servant Poems, (Peeters: Leuven, 1998) and Reading the Bible with the Damned, (Westminster John Knox Press; Lousiville, 2005), which will be published in French with Editions Olivetan. In 2004 Bob, Gracie and their entire ministry were deeply touched by the Holy Spirit in a fresh way– leading them into a dynamic confluence of social action and advocacy, physical and inner healing, Scripture study, and contemplative and charismatic spirituality. Over the past six years Bob has traveled regularly to France, Honduras and has made trips to Mozambique, South Africa, the UK, Korea, Sweden, Latvia, the Philippines and around the United States teaching on the ministry of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Bob and Gracie are committed to the emergence of a new paradigm and praxis that brings together diverse emphasis and parts of the body of Christ in the service of the least– on earth as in heaven.
Personal Mission Statement
God has called me to bring good news of Jesus’ love and Kingdom to the poor and oppressed through respectful presence, liberating Bible study and Spirit-empowered action, raising up, equipping, empowering and multiplying leaders from the margins and the mainstream as agents of Jesus-inspired advocacy, community and transformation.
