Pastor Rob Phraner is beginning his eleventh year pastoring New Life Assembly.  He and his wife, Kathleen, have three sons:  Michael, 17, Robby 14 and Stephen 11.  Pastor Rob preached his first sermon over twenty years ago as a senior in high school and followed God’s call into training for the ministry.  He met Kathleen at bible college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  After she graduated Southwestern College in Oklahoma City and he graduated Valley Forge Christian College in Pennsylvania, they got married in 1990.

Pastor Rob served at El Bethel Assembly of God in Staten Island, New York, his home church as a teenager,  in various ministry positions.  He also worked for a short time at Gruntal, Inc. on Wall Street and taught five years at Christian High School of Staten Island. "Teaching and coaching at CHS was a great experience in my life.  The students were awesome.  Our basketball team was successful and the relationships from CHS last to this day," Pastor Rob said.  He recently spent time with one of his students, studying to be a doctor, while attending General Council in Indianapolis.

In 1995, Pastor Rob felt led to further his education and packed his family up and moved to the Midwest.  He graduated the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri with a Master’s Degree in Theology in 1998 and then returned to El Bethel as an assistant pastor.  "I love the people at El Bethel and it was great to go back home after seminary," Pastor Rob said.  In the summer of 2000, the Phraner’s accepted the call to pastor New Life Assembly in Athens, Alabama and has enjoyed serving there ever since.  "I am blessed to be in such a wonderful church and community," Pastor Rob said.

Kathleen is a gifted musician who loves to minister in voice, piano or flute.  She also serves as Missionettes coordinator at the church.  Michael loves to draw and play soccer, Robby will play any sport and Stephen enjoys making money.  All three are involved in youth ministries and Royal Rangers in the church.

Rob enjoys sports (especially the Yankees), reading, baseball cards, Famous Amos Chocolate Chip and Pecan cookies, exercising (after eating the cookies), tackling Sudoku or crossword puzzles and just about any board game.  He is finishing a devotional book called 77wj, which provides a schedule to read the entire Bible in 18 months, including a weekly devotional Word for the Week and an everyday Scripture, DailyPowerVerse.  He loves to see people find God’s purpose for their life in the church and in the community.  As pastor, he hopes every time people gather in church or a small group there will be a sense of God’s loving presence. 

“Our purpose as a church is Reaching People, Teaching Principles, Sending Disciples.  This is also my personal goal.  I want to reach the people of our community for the Lord, equip and train them with the gifts they have and see them enjoy a fruitful Christian life," Pastor Rob said.