Call to Ministry
FOR WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. And how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10: 13-15 (NASB)
With a call to preach the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, Rick Rigsby has proclaimed God's life-changing Word worldwide. Though destined to be a preacher, it was a call he never imagined!
Born and reared in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rick received a communications degree in 1978 from California State University Chico, and immediately began his career as a television news reporter for a CBS affiliate in Northern California.
Graduate school followed his television career—and while in the midst of doctoral studies at the University of Oregon, Rick "struggled" with a call to preach. A conversation with his parents ended the struggle and persuaded him that ministry would be in his future. "When I told my mother that God was calling me into ministry," Rigsby recalls, "she began to cry and said, 'When you were in my womb, God promised that He would set you aside to preach the Gospel.'" This clenched it for Rick, and he has never looked back.
Rick spent two decades teaching on the university level—the last 14 years at Texas A&M University where he also served as character coach and chaplain for the Aggies football team. Teaching during the week and preaching during the weekends, RRM was launched with humble beginnings! Invitations to speak were few in those early years, but God had His hand on Rick and his family.
Then in the face of personal tragedy, something unexpected happened. Following a lengthy battle with breast cancer, Rick's wife Trina passed away in 1996. Heart-broken and grieving, Rick and his two young sons knew they had to press on. In the midst of his brokenness, churches began requesting he share his testimony of how God was sustaining his family. In the dismal depth of his pain, Rick discovered his purpose in ministry—God had called him to offer the helping hand of Jesus to a hurting world!
Dr. Rigsby believes he was called to encourage the hurting, the hopeless and the helpless with the awesome and unconditional love of God. He believes living an abundant life means being restored to wholeness through Jesus Christ—regardless of circumstances, conditions or situations.
Dr. Rigsby preaches at church services, conferences, revivals, crusades, camps and retreats. He's a popular speaker at Christian colleges, and is in demand as a chapel speaker for teams in the National Football League.
Challenging men to lead Godly lives has become a major ministry emphasis. In addition to local church men's retreats, Rick is privileged to speak at national conferences on behalf of numerous Christian Men's organizations including:
Men at The Cross: 2008 to present
Iron Sharpens Iron: 2008 to present
Men of Valor: 2007 to present
Promise Keepers: 2005-2008
Rick's story of tragedy and triumph has been featured on national television shows on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Inspiration Network. In addition, Dr. Rigsby's personal testimony was presented on one of Rev. Billy Graham's final televised crusades, was broadcast internationally as the Billy Graham Television Special in 2004. In addition, Rick has appeared as a special guest on numerous local radio shows and nationally on Family Life Today with host Dennis Rainey, and American Family Coaches, with hosts Barb and Gary Roseberg.
In addition to academic publications, Dr. Rigsby is the co-author of Proverbs Prayer: Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Everyday with John Mason. Rick's first book, Lessons From a Third Grade Dropout, is the story of timeless common-sense wisdom learned from his father.
