When God called Rob Bline into full-time ministry, he left a 16-year career in the rental equipment industry.
“I remember telling my wife that I felt like I wasted all that time … that I had all this experience with nothing to do with it,” he said.
But what Bline didn’t know was that God had a plan for all of that experience with forklifts and heavy equipment — to serve with California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries.
His pastoral heart along with his knowledge of heavy equipment makes Bline perfect for Disaster Relief work, and he’s tried to bring others along for the ride.
“The congregations I’ve served have always been really supportive, and lots of them have come with me to work,” he said.
Bline also has three children who have all been trained and responded to Disaster Relief callouts.
The week of Sept. 12, Bline was serving in a variety of roles in and around Houma, Louisiana, an area that was hit hard by Hurricane Ida on Aug. 29.
Bline is serving with California Disaster Relief, even though he moved to Kentucky a few months ago. He worships at Burkesville Baptist Church in Kentucky.
In recalling that conversation with his wife, Bline just laughs.
“God doesn’t waste nothing,” he said. “He took these two things I did that are so vastly different and here we are.”
