Marketplace Minister

Had life taken a slightly different turn, Ted Robertson might have been an Assemblies of God pastor like his brother. Or, a lay preacher like his father, who headed Christ Ambassadors in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area before his untimely death when Ted was 16.

Instead, the founder of Robertson Tire found his calling in taking the gospel into the marketplace.

A member of The Assembly at Broken Arrow and part of the AG for most of his life, Robertson knows many pastors who think a pulpit represents the primary method of a fulfilling ministry. He disagrees.

"I felt the call to go outside the church walls and minister in business," says Robertson, still active at age 83. "I think more pastors should encourage their members to do that."

For years, his "pulpit" was at Robertson Tire, the shop he founded in 1962. Opened in a rented, 4,000-square-foot building with two service bays and one employee, today the business has a dozen locations and more than $23 million in annual sales.

Robertson got active in the marketplace after giving his testimony in the 1970s at a Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) meeting.

That appearance prompted invitations from other chapters around the state and region. He says his baptism in the Holy Spirit fueled his witnessing, which included praying with clients, customers, and crowds at FGBMFI meetings.

When Robertson's late wife Anna was suffering from cancer, insurance broker Don Hail used to stop by Robertson's office to encourage his friend.

"There were people who would have issues that were important to them and Ted would take time to minister to them," Hail says. "He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but you wouldn't have known it."

Although he turned over the reins of the business to his sons in 1999, Robertson still has an office at corporate headquarters. Among the duties keeping him busy is coordinating weekly luncheons of the International Fellowship of Christian Businessmen (IFCB).

In addition to lining up speakers, two years ago Robertson helped organize a separate IFCB chapter for young businessmen. Both groups attract several dozen business leaders and pastors to group meetings.

Robertson also lines up speakers for monthly men's breakfasts at the church he attends. Cody R. Miller, connections pastor at The Assembly at Broken Arrow, says around 90 people show up for breakfasts, and the turnout has tripled since Robertson took over.

"Ted not only is reaching those around him in his generation, he's pouring into the next generation," Miller says. "He uses the marketplace as this number one outreach tool."

Robertson's efforts build the church in another way. When longtime friend Peter Enns wanted to start a Southern gospel sing similar to those in Branson, Missouri, he asked Robertson for help.

Together, they launched concerts at The Assembly on the first Saturday night of each month. In more than 11 years, only two have been canceled, both times because of bad weather. 

Many visitors in the crowds -- which average more than 1,000 -- return for Sunday services.

"It's an incredible outreach," Miller says. "You can't calculate the impact of ministry to everyone who comes in here and how it affects local churches in our area."

As Robertson demonstrates, every Christian can play a role in spreading the good news.

Kenneth C. Walker

Kenneth C. Walker is a freelance writer, co-author, and book editor from Huntington, West Virginia. He has more than 4,500 article bylines and has written, edited, or contributed to more than 90 books.