Robert Peck, Iowa-Missouri Conference secretary (vice president for administration), announced his retirement during a regularly scheduled executive committee meeting at Sunnydale Adventist Academy on Monday, Aug 22. He has held the position, in addition to serving as global mission and stewardship director, since 2006.
“We are grateful to Bob for his many years of service to the conference,” said Dean Coridan, Iowa-Missouri president. “He will be missed, but we know God has big plans for him yet in the coming years.” Conference treasurer Rhonda Karr said, “It’s been my privilege to work with Bob for many years,” noting that they first worked together when the Iowa and Missouri conferences merged in 1980. “May God bless him in this next chapter.”
Peck began his nearly five-decade career in ministry as a student literature evangelist in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. Throughout the 1970s he pastored in Colorado, Texas and Missouri, joining the Missouri Conference as secretary, ministerial and lay activities director in 1978. From 1980-1983 he served as secretary of the newly-merged Iowa-Missouri Conference before accepting a call to serve overseas as president of the Rwanda Union Mission (1984-1990) and Sahel Union Mission (1990-1992). Peck served as president of the Dakota and Alaska conferences during the remainder of the 1990s before coming back to the Iowa-Missouri Conference as pastor of the Sedalia district in 1999 and then evangelism coordinator, ministerial and religious liberty director for the conference in 2004.
Following the announcement, the executive committee voted ministerial director Robert Wagley as the new conference secretary.
Wagley has served in various roles for the denomination including as a literature evangelist, Bible worker, pastor, evangelist, and administrator. He served as ministerial director and evangelism coordinator for the conference from 2000-2003, before becoming vice president for administration in the Minnesota Conference. Wagley returned as ministerial director, evangelism coordinator, men’s ministry and religious liberty director in 2007, roles he held until being voted secretary on Monday.
“I’m thankful for the support and special opportunity I’ve had to serve as ministerial director these past nearly ten years. It has definitely been a highlight of my ministry service within God’s Church,” Wagley said. “I’m looking forward to continuing in the new role as conference secretary vacated as a result of Elder Peck’s retirement. Bob has been a pleasure and great inspiration to work with and leaves large shoes to fill.”
