After 23 years of service in the Iowa-Missouri Conference, Executive Secretary Robert Wagley and his wife Peggy, who served as administrative assistant, will say goodbye to the Iowa-Missouri Conference in October.

After much prayer, Robert and Peggy accepted a call to serve as a pastor in the Gulf States Conference. He will be pastoring the Gulf Coast Adventist Church in Biloxi, Mississippi and the St. Elmo Church in Irvington, Alabama. This will put them closer to most of their family.

“We felt it was the right time to take advantage of the opportunity to serve God’s people at a local level and do evangelism while also enjoying the blessings of ministering to family and friends in an area they really like and appreciate,” Robert said.

The couple has been serving the Adventist church since 1978. They have lived abroad and in multiple states while serving in various capacities. Robert first served the Iowa-Missouri Conference in 1983 in pastoral ministry. The couple served the church elsewhere for a few years and returned to the Iowa-Missouri Conference in 2000 when Robert served as ministerial director. He later accepted the call to be the executive secretary for the Minnesota Conference. Five years later Robert accepted the position of ministerial director and Peggy accepted the position of administrative assistant in the Iowa-Missouri Conference. In 2016 Robert was voted as executive secretary for the conference.

During his 23 years of service, Robert said he implemented two programs which he believes are some his most significant accomplishments for the Iowa-Missouri Conference. The first program developed evangelism and ministry zones which sought to connect pastors of specific geographical areas so they could meet regularly to encourage one another.

“I think it really helped build camaraderie and fellowship and team spirit for our pastors,” Robert said.

Robert, with the help of Peggy, also introduced a portfolio-based approach to the ordination process for pastors within the conference. According to Robert, this allowed the pastors to keep a record of their involvement and experience in various areas of ministry. The portfolios also allowed Robert to identify strong and weak areas in a pastor’s ministry so he could better assist pastors.

“I believe it’s one of the most significant things that we did while we were in [the] ministerial [department],” Robert said.

Peggy was actively involved in several ministries including ministerial, camp meeting, women’s ministries, shepherdess and Religious Liberty.

“It’s been fun to do, and I’ve very much enjoyed working with the pastors, their wives and members throughout the conference for so many blessed years,” Peggy said.

The couple said they have enjoyed serving the Iowa-Missouri Conference in their various ministry roles and will miss the conference.

“We will be leaving a part of our heart here,” Peggy said.

The couple also said while serving in the Iowa-Missouri Conference they have made friendships that will last a lifetime.

“We have wonderful friends from Iowa to Missouri that will be lifelong friends,” Robert said. “They have become like family, a home away from home.”

Fellow Iowa-Missouri Conference officers said Robert and Peggy will be missed and they hope God blesses their transition.

“They have been a major part of our office family,” said Rhonda Karr, conference treasurer. “They have always been willing to serve in whatever task was at hand.”

Iowa-Missouri Conference President Dean Coridan said the Wagleys have been both great friends and colleagues.

“Robert and Peggy Wagley and [my wife] Gail and I have been friends and colleagues for 35 years and have ministered together for many years in this conference,” Coridan said. “We have appreciated their work and they will be greatly missed.”

At this time the conference has not yet filled either position vacated by the Wagleys but are actively looking to do so.