Graduate Profile: Gustavo de Barros, MTS

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My name is Gustavo Cardoso de Barros and I live in Salem, OR, where I pastor a wonderful church: Gracious Cross Reformed Church. I am married to my precious and supportive wife, Rachel, with whom we have four children.

I was born and raised in Campinas - Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a faithful Brazilian I am a big fan of the true “futebol,” being a “Corinthiano” [Corinthians is the “greatest” soccer team in Brazil :-) ], and a lover of a strong cup of coffee. I came to the US in 2002, one year after the Lord saved me from the kingdom of darkness, to study theology, where, by God’s grace, I received a Bachelor’s of Theology. It was in Portland, OR, that I met Rachel. We married in 2005 and in 2007 we went to Brazil. It was in Brazil, when I was working full time at a charismatic non-denominational church, that the Lord opened my eyes to behold the beauty of the Reformed Doctrines. In 2009 I planted Igreja Reformada em Campinas Soli Deo Gloria, it was a unique Reformed Baptist church in our town. Many people heard for the first time in their lives the exposition of God’s Word coming from the Reformed lenses, some were saved and many others grew in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. All glory be to God!

In November of 2012, under God’s providence, my wife, our two little girls at the time and I moved back to the US, to Salem (where my wife is from), with the purpose of pursuing further theological studies. Due to the lack of sound Reformed churches with baptistic theology in our area, we beheld God’s hand leading us, together with Brian Ray and his family, to plant one in July of 2013: Gracious Cross Reformed Church. The Lord has been gracious to us and caused this local church to grow. People have been growing into the likeness of our Savior, been saved, baptized, and joined our church as faithful members. It is because of the love and support of the leaders and members of my church that I have been able to attend RBS. Praise the Lord Jesus!

I thank RBS for their desire to equip the church. I thank them for their pastoral care, generosity in providing affordable and excellent education, and for the robust theological teachings. As the pastors-professors of RBS have been causing my mind and heart to grow in Christ my congregation is blessed by the outflow of all this labor.

All glory and majesty be to the only Triune God!

Gustavo C. de Barros

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Bob Gonzales

Bob Gonzales has served as a pastor of four Reformed Baptist congregations and has been the Academic Dean and a professor since 2005. He is the author of Where Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis with Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives and has contributed to the Reformed Baptist Theological Review, The Founders Journal, and Westminster Theological Journal. Dr Gonzales is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. He and his wife, Becky, reside in Boca Raton, Florida.