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Ralph Starling
Associate Pastor, Christian Invitation
358-5458, ext 134
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Ralph
Starling is responsible for the ministry of “Christian Invitation 360” –
helping the Christian church to love the world around them. He likes to call
himself the Minister of hope and adventure – because becoming a
follower
of Christ is an invitation to hope and adventure. Since joining the church
staff in 1990, he has initiated the Divorce Recovery Ministry, helping those
who are broken experience a caring community and a future with hope. He has
also established spiritual formation groups such as Companions In Christ,
assisting people on their spiritual journey through reflection and spiritual
direction on life issues related to grace, forgiveness, blessing, and
diversity. Most recently, he has initiated the International Friendship
Ministry, helping to provide community to internationals and refugees living
in the Richmond area.
His
ministry has taken him throughout the world. He has led mission projects in
countries such as Tanzania, Africa; the Caribbean Islands of St. Kitts and
Montserrat, the Central American countries of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and
Honduras. This summer (2009) marks the tenth anniversary of his involvement
in leading English Camp in Ruzomberok, Slovakia. Each summer over 200
Slovakian children along with 40 adults participate in English Camp, taught
by approximately 25 American volunteers from Richmond’s First Baptist
Church.
In
February of 2008, he traveled with a group of Christian ministers from
Virginia to dedicate the new Precious Children’s Orphanage in Kochin, India,
built for 300 orphaned children, many who lost their parents in the tsunami
of 2004. In December 2008 he traveled to Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an,
China, exploring opportunities for future projects related to helping the
poor in China.
Before
coming to Richmond’s First Baptist Church, Starling was a minister in
northern California While living in the San Francisco bay area he hosted a
weekly cable talk show, ‘Evening Journal’, interviewing a variety of guests
from the San Francisco bay area.
Starling
earned the Master of Divinity degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological
Seminary, in Mill Valley, California. He did his undergraduate work at
Valdosta State University, where he played college baseball. He continued
playing baseball after graduation with the Valdosta Red Sox, a
semi-professional baseball team made up outstanding college and professional
ball players recruited from around the country.
In 2005
he completed a three-year program, “Becoming a Spiritual Director,” at San
Francisco Theological Seminary. In addition to his interest in Christian
Spirituality, he participates bi-annually in the Leadership in Ministry
Workshops in Colorado Springs, studying family systems theory and
leadership.
He is
currently working alongside the Virginia Council of Churches resettlement
program assisting refugee families from Burma, Nepal, Iraq, and Sudan who
have come to Richmond. In the Fall of 2009 he will be assisting Richmond’s
First Baptist Church in hosting a Muslim Background Believers Conference
designed to help Muslims and Christians better understand each other.
He is
currently taking Japanese classes at the Asian Nexus Center and is preparing
for upcoming projects in 2009 to the countries of Slovakia, India, China,
Malaysia, and Vietnam in 2010.
