Rev. Dr. Bruce L. Emmert

Bruce and Melissa Emmert are returning to Topeka where they both were raised. Melissa is a nurse. Returning home brings them closer to their daughter Jayna and her husband, Justin McFarland, and granddaughter, Annabelle, who are members of our congregation. Bruce and Melissa’s parents both live in the Topeka area as well. The Emmert’s daughter, Suzanne, is a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky. Their other two younger daughters, Maribeth and Laura, will attend Topeka West High School.

Dr. Emmert began his pastoral ministry by serving two rural churches north of Topeka during his last year of college in 1981. During seminary he served as a youth pastor at a United Methodist congregation in suburban Atlanta. Following seminary Dr. Emmert was appointed one year to the Wath-upon-Dearne Circuit of the British Methodist Conference. From there he returned to Kansas. More recently Bruce served as Senior Pastor of Shawnee Heights United Methodist church followed by an Executive Pastor of Age Level and Family Ministries ministry at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to coming to Topeka, Bruce served as Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Leavenworth.

He is a 1982 graduate of Washburn University with a B.A. in Philosophy and a 1985 graduate of Candler School of Theology, Emory University, with a Master of Divinity degree. In 1997 he received Asbury Theological Seminary’s Beeson Pastor Fellowship and spent a year of intensive study on the Asbury Seminary campus in pursuit of a Doctor of Ministry degree. Dr. Emmert was awarded the Doctorate of Ministry in Church Leadership and Biblical Preaching in May of 2000.

Bruce serves on the Kansas East Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and is a trustee of the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation.

Bruce enjoys fly-fishing, working in the garden with the girls, wood working, Lionel Trains and reading mysteries.