Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman
Pastor Rob, Lead Pastor
"I’ve always believed that if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing right and well. As a minister, I believe it is my job not only to answer the call of God with sincerity, but to responsibly educate and equip myself for the call. I want my congregation and community to benefit from both the passion of a called preacher and the knowledge of a learned teacher. To that end, in 2006, I was enrolled in the Theological School at Drew University, starting the final step towards my PhD—the dissertation. Antioch Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, is my church home, and I am what you might call “New Blood.” I’ve made it my mission to change for Christ,
to bring new initiatives to Antioch and to challenge those already established for the better. But as I looked around the community surrounding Antioch, I began to realize that while we were changing on the inside, nothing was progressing on the outside. The Lord put it upon me to say something, but moreover, to do something! The idea crystallized the more I researched for my dissertation." - Pastor Rob.
Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman (Pastor Rob) served as the Associate Pastor and Youth Pastor at Union Baptist Church in White Plains, New York under the pastoral guidance of Reverends Robert L. Mason and Verlin D. Williams. Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman (Pastor Rob) brought many gifts to Antioch, the most notable being his exuberance of youth, a willingness to get the job done, and ebullient spirituality. By the time of his official installation in February, 2002, he had already been hard at work in Antioch since November 4, 2001. This was evidenced by new seats in the balcony, a large influx of youth to fill them, an after-school homework program, and revival of the Wednesday night Bible study. Pastor Rob continues to expound his ministry of “Restoring Life by Destroying the Barriers . . .” (Ephesians 2:14) that separate Christians from each other and the community at large. Pastor Rob graduated from New York Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in May, 2003. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Drew University in May, 2009.
Since his installation, Pastor Rob has worked closely with the Youth Ministry, established leadership classes and retreats, re-instituted the Christian Education Ministry, spearheaded the purchase of a state-of-the-art sound system in the sanctuary, and revived the Antioch Community Services for youth and seniors. Spiritually, Pastor Rob tries to impress on people that God desires our praise and worship, and has been labeled, “The Preacher of Thunder.” He encourages his congregation to know God so that hearts, and thereby lives, can be changed. Each year of his pastorate, approximately 100 persons accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have become a part of the Antioch family.
Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman’s (Pastor Rob) commitment to Antioch has been shown by the purchase of a home in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. A second building that he purchased in the community now houses a Christian lounge. Through his role as a substitute teacher in the New York public school system, Pastor Rob enhances the education of the youth in our community. Pastor Rob serves on Community Board 3, as the former Chairperson of the Transportation Committee and now serves as the Ecumenical Committee Chairman. He is a member of the National Black Commission on Aids and the Chair of the “Securing our Institutions” component of the Black Empowerment Convention. Pastor Rob is the Ecumenical Chair of the Black Leadership Commission on Aids (BLCA) in Brooklyn, New York, president of the African American Clergy and Elected Officials (AACEO) in Brooklyn, and lifetime member of the NAACP.
Among the accomplishments in which he takes pride is the magnificent renovation of the Sanctuary which includes painting, restored and covered pews, new carpeting, marbleizing of columns and renovation of the room that houses several ministries, such as Sunday school classes and the after-school program. During the summer months of 2004, a “Tent Ministry” was created so that Sunday morning worship services and special events (first youth conference in 2005) took place under a tent in the parking lot of the church. In recent years, month-long Revivals have taken place under the tent during the month of August. A restoration project was done to the Antioch Baptist Fellowship Hall that included painting and new lighting. This room has a multi-purpose use for conferences and dining purposes. In 2014 Pastor Rob had 11 Ministers, Evangelist, Layminister and Himself conferred to be Chaplains.
Pastor Rob is the author of the books, “God Has Left the Building and From Scattered to Unstoppable." (Amazon)
In 2012, Pastor Rob married Lady Lola Oguntunde. They are the proud parents of Nia Folasade, Imani Oyinlola and Jada Simisola Waterman.
