Rance Shuler serves as RFBC’s lead teaching pastor, while his wife Jennifer, serves as the church secretary. Rance grew up locally here in Graham County, while Jennifer grew up on the farmland of eastern NC. During the summer of 2009, Rance and Jennifer met in Trinidad while serving the Lord Jesus on two separate mission trips. They were joined in marriage in November 2010. Rance and Jennifer both knew that full-time ministry would be a part of their future, but what that would look like was certainly not clear at the time. During this period of praying and waiting, Rance and Jennifer served alongside Eternal Truth Ministries, remained committed to making disciples, and underwent much training and equipping to be ordained into the Gospel Ministry. In 2015, Rance resigned from 8 years as a middle school math and science teacher, bus driver, and cross-country coach while Jennifer stepped down from her job as a CPA of 10 years.
Rance was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel and commissioned by Robbinsville First Baptist Church in November 2015 under the shepherding of Pastor Noah Crowe, and the couple stepped out in faith as full-time missionaries with Eternal Truth Ministries. After serving with Eternal Truth Ministries for four years, the elders at RFBC asked Rance and Jenni to pray about accepting the lead teaching pastor role. The church voted 100% affirmation to receive Rance, and he began and his new role in September of 2019. Rance and Jenni are blessed with three boys, Jayden (2014), Colson (2016), and Caleb (2018). For family fun, the Shuler’s thoroughly enjoy hiking, camping, hunting, and fly fishing in God's Appalachian Mountains!
"…that we may present every man mature in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Colossians 1:28b-29
