Bob is a retired minister of the United Church of Christ who lives in La Grange Park, Illinois. An ordained minister, October 18, 1969, at the Baker Community Church, UCC, in Baker, MT. He served churches in Texas; California; Montana; Iowa; and, Illinois.
He merged his 50 years of professional experience with his training in psychotherapy.
Bob’s new pulpit is his daily posts on FaceBook, “Today’s Joy!” He writes on every subject under the sun from his religious and psychotherapeutic background. His topics are light, serious, church, feeling, and everyday life. He invites Saturday’s “congregation” to post their joys in the space below.
His ministerial standing is in the Illinois Conference. He enjoys sitting in the pew after 45 years of serving local churches. Bob has joined his family at the Westchester Community Church, UCC, where he is a member of the Christian Education committee and a liturgist. He continues to be active in the Wider Church.
He received his education in the public schools in West Columbia, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. He earned a Master of Theology from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas,
In Transactional Analysis, he trained with Jack Dusay, Denton Roberts, Bob, and Mary Goulding at the Western Institute for Group and Family Therapy, Morris and Natalie Haimowitz, and several others, including Muriel James and George Barnett.
Bob is a Transactional Analysis Practitioner in North America TA Association.
Transactional Analysis Association. He practices the modality of Re-Decision Therapy, a blend of Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Therapy.
Redecision Therapy was developed by the late Robert L. Goulding, M.D., T.M.*, and the late Mary McClure Goulding, MSW, T.M.*.
Bob serves as the General Coordinator and FaceBook editor on the Coordinating Council of NATAA.
Bob works at home from his couch. He shares a home with his wife, Elaine. His older son, Edward, is married to Kim, and they live in Woodridge, IL. A younger son, Aaron, works as a massage therapist. Bob became a cancer survivor when doctors discovered a mass on his left kidney in 2016. His kidney contained Stage One Renal Cell Carcinoma. He received treatments for pancreatic cancer in June 2023 at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, He has little side-effects and remains active in NATAA and his normal life at 86.
Bob believes his Call is to write and teach people how to live life joyfully as God has created each person to live. He is available to lead workshops on pastoral care, which can be tailor-made for your church or group. Also, he will preach on a Sunday morning at your church. He is available to speak to the church, denominational, ecumenical, or civic groups. He charges expenses and a small stipend. Contact Bob by email, bobhempel55@gmail.com.
* T.M. — Teaching Member — International Transactional Analysis Association. A TM today is called a Teaching and Supervising Analyst.