Conversion

Robert Jr. (Bob) was born in 1963 to Robert and Priscilla Gonzales. His parents promised the Catholic priest who married them to raise Bob as a Christian. So Bob was baptized as an infant, attended Catechism classes as a child, and was confirmed as a young teenager. However, he does not recall hearing the gospel in that context. Not long after his confirmation, he began pursuing a profligate and sinful lifestyle. Then, in his late teens and early 20s, Bob came under deep conviction of sin. He began praying and asking God to reveal himself to him. A Christian friend shared the gospel with Bob, and Bob eventually visited his friend's church. Not long after, he repented of his sin and trusted in Christ. He realizes his only hope for salvation is in the atoning death and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Family

Soon after his conversion, Dr. Gonzales moved to South Carolina to attend a Christian university. There, he met his wife, Becky Marie Roach. They have been married since 1991 and have been blessed with five children: Robert III, Hosanna, James, Augustin, and Calvin. Hosanna married Judson Greene in 2018, and God recently blessed them with their first child, Ira Job Greene (Sept 2020)!

Education

Dr. Gonzales attended Bob Jones University (BJU) from 1986 to 1993 where he earned a B.A. in Bible (minor: ancient languages) and an M.A. in theology. Then he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he attended the Reformed Baptist School of Theology where he completed the equivalent of a Master of Divinity program in 1998. After pastoring for a few years, Dr. Gonzales returned to BJU where he earned a Ph.D. in Old Testament Interpretation.

Ministry

Dr. Gonzales has served as a pastor in four congregations from 1996 to 2014. He has served as an adjunct professor at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary in Owensboro, Kentucky, and at Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway, Arkansas. Since 2005 Dr. Gonzales has been serving as the dean of Reformed Baptist Seminary.

Research Interests and Hobbies

Dr. Gonzales is the author of Where Sin Abounds: The Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis (Wipf & Stock, 2009). He has also written articles for The Reformed Baptist Review, The Founders Journal, and Westminster Theological Journal. Bob's special interests include biblical studies and biblical theology. He enjoys riding dirt bikes (motocross and enduro), weightlifting, playing softball, hiking, fishing, and hunting. He's also a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and loves to spend time in Middle Earth.