TOPIC | OCF Medical Week, “Soul Care” and “Our Relationships with God”
SPEAKERS | Roc Bottomly and Gene Rudd, M.D.
Roc Bottomly
Roc Bottomly is the firstborn of five children to a fighter pilot father. Following a childhood immersed in scouts, athletics and student activities, Roc entered the Air Force Academy. At the Academy, he finished with a B.S. in Astronautical Engineering. As a cadet, Roc trusted Christ through the Navigators’ ministry and worked closely with them as a lay leader in military, collegiate and community ministries throughout his service years. While in the Air Force (1969-1976), he served as both a flight instructor and an intercontinental transport pilot. In 1976, Roc left his pilot wings for the ministry. He graduated with a Th.M. (Master of Theology) from Dallas Theological Seminary. From 1981 to 1990 he was the senior pastor of Covenant Community Church in Oklahoma City. While there, the church grew from a handful to 600 and was known throughout the city for its biblical preaching, lay leadership development and multiplying Navigator-style ministry of personal disciplemaking. From 1990 to 1995, he was the senior pastor of Pulpit Rock Church in Colorado Springs where he led the church through a series of difficult transitions: from traditional to contemporary worship, from staff-centered ministry to lay-centered ministry, and from in reach to outreach. The vision was “Reaching Your World”; and the church grew from 700 to 1,400. In 1995, Roc became a senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City. Bridgeway was a church plant created to break the mold in several areas. It was a “bridge” church to hybrid the strengths of the evangelical church with those of the charismatic church. It was designed to reach the unchurched and untraditional; especially students aged 15 to 25. It was a “cell” church committed to equipping lay pastors to lead multiplying house churches throughout the metroplex area. From 1995 to 2001, he helped Bridgeway expand from start-up to a congregation of 800. In 2001, Roc moved to Colorado Springs to become the Senior Fellow for Marriage Studies for the Focus on the Family Institute. For the next seven years, he and his wife, Bev, taught biblical marriage to the 1800 students who passed through the Institute during their tenure. In 2008, Roc became the lead pastor at Our Lord’s community Church where he is working to help build a Word-Spirit church committed to “being and making disciples… starting right where we are.”
Roc married his wife, Bev, in 1974; and they have four grown children and thirteen grandchildren.
Gene Rudd, MD.
Gene Rudd, MD, serves as Senior Vice President of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.
Dr. Rudd is a specialist in obstetrics/gynecology, and he has extensive experience as a director of a maternal-fetal medicine training program and in rural healthcare practice. He has garnered several awards including the Gorgas Medal, presented by the U.S. government for the most significant achievement in preventive medicine. As a spokesman for Christian healthcare professionals in America, Dr. Rudd has received national media coverage, including interviews with the Washington Post and People Magazine. Dr. Rudd has also conducted international programs with World Medical Mission, where he established the Christian Medical Mission of Russia. He directed the rehabilitation of the Central Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Dr. Rudd has also served in Belarus, Bosnia, Kazakhstan and India.
Dr. Rudd’s experiences provide rich illustrations for inspirational and educational presentations. Dr. Rudd has communicated what God is doing through Christian healthcare by speaking at seminars, conferences and churches.
He and his wife Gay have four children: Jonathan, Deborah, Joshua and David.
GUEST AMBASSADORS | Dr (COL) Arnie Ahnfeldt, USA (Ret.) and Dr (COL) Jeff Ginther, USA (Ret.)