Robert Baxter

I am Robert Baxter, I was born in California, I went to elementary school in San Pedro. Jr High and High School was done in Long Beach, I went to LBCC and only had 3 classes left for a liberal arts degree. My great grandfather was the foreman for the finish woodwork (paint) on the Titanic, and was offered passage to America for the family, which was turned down, but they did immigrate settling in San Pedro, where he opened a Paint shop, my grandfather was a painter (union) and at one point was a foreman for 140 men. My dad also was a painter and became the financial secretary for IBPAT LOCAL 256 (Long Beach) a job he retired from.

After I was in the Air Force, I became a union painter for Local 256, I finished my apprenticeship in 2.5 years and achieved the rank of master journeyman painter.

After eight years of total time with local 256 a job from the City of Long Beach accepted me and I retired after 29.5 years.

As a kid I visited church with my grandparents, I may have accepted Jesus then but I really don't remember, but God definitely watched out for me. I married my first wife when I was 22, I cheated, she left. At one point I went to get her back and her brother talked with me and sent me to his church where I accepted Jesus and was baptized with the Holy Spirit, I didn't really begin speaking in tongues until a little later.

After a period of time I met my current wife and asked her to marry me 3 days later, and then I got divorced from my first wife. We attended different churches for a while and I was baptized at one of them.

We've been members of Cottonwood Church since August of 1993, I have served twice as an usher there. I currently serve as a table leader at the Men's Community, I am an active participant in the Kingsmen Bible study, I also attend another home Bible study, and I was invited to visit ISI by Roman Brink, and started helping set up and take down. I was honored to have been asked to join the leadership team.