Bio

Bob and Mary Rutledge joined GFA in 1977—burdened for Muslims. They have served the Lord faithfully as missionaries for over four decades.

Both Bob and Mary were blessed to grow up in Christian homes where they heard the Gospel from an early age, and both made a profession of faith as children. Bob later surrendered his life to Christ at a Christian camp. Three weeks after camp, Bob’s pastor was preaching on God’s call to full-time service. An invitation was given, and Bob felt a clear calling to go forward and dedicate his life to full time Christian service. The Rutledges met at Bob Jones University where God used the India Prayer Band and a trip to India to burden them for international missions.

In 1980, Bob and Mary arrived in England where they jumped into the work of church planting. The Lord gifted Bob in the areas of personal evangelism and training churches to reach Muslims. Over the course of their 25 years in England, Bob and Mary had the privilege to see a lot of fruit from their ministry. Many were saved through personal evangelism. They discipled their church members who then also went out and won souls for Christ.

God directed the Rutledges back to the United Sates in 2007 when Bob accepted a position in the GFA home office as the Director of Islamic Outreach. He served in this capacity until 2014. The Rutledges plan to continue their ministry to Muslims for as long as God allows—doing door-to-door visiting, distributing literature to the unsaved as well as to fellow gospel workers, and helping in church-based ministries.