Bob Merritt is the retired senior pastor of

Eagle Brook Church Eagle Brook Church is a non denomination multi-site megachurch based in Centerville, Minnesota. It is affiliated with Converge. Weekly church attendance was 20,923 people in 2023. The senior pastor is Jason Strand. History The church was founde ...

in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, USA, a

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

Early life and education

Merritt's father was Calvin Merritt, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Neshannock Township, Pennsylvania. Bob Merritt attended Neshannock High School in the 1970s, then went to Bethel University in

Arden Hills, Minnesota Arden Hills is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,552 at the 2010 census. Bethel University and Seminary is located in the city of Arden Hills. Also, the campus of University of Northwestern – St. Paul st ...

, where he obtained a master's degree in divinity. From 1983 to 1988 he was pastor of the Falun First Baptist Church in

Falun, Wisconsin Daniels is a town in Burnett County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 649 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of Falun is located within the town. History Originally named Wood Lake, the town's name was changed in ...

. He then went to

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

, where he earned a doctorate in speech communications in 1991.

Ministry

Merritt became pastor of the First Baptist Church (

) of White Bear Lake in 1991. By 1997, when the church took its present name, average weekend attendance had grown to 1,400. To encourage people who may have been turned off by the formality of other churches, Merritt deliberately gave Eagle Brook an informal atmosphere, with no stained glass, pews or altar. Merritt attributes the healthy level of donations from his core congregation to the sense of mission in the church, the drive to reach as many people as possible and help them grow in their faith. He also emphasizes the importance of providing more than just a place to hear music and listen to an inspiring or helpful message, but to also be active in the world community assisting the oppressed, poor and hungry.

Leadership training

Merritt was an instructor at Bethel Virtual Seminary of Bethel University.

Recognition

In 2006 he was named Bethel Seminary Alumnus of the Year for his work in guiding the church through explosive growth and reaching out to people who had been lost to the church.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Bob Living people Baptist ministers from the United States People from White Bear Lake, Minnesota Year of birth missing (living people)