Bob Butler and his wife Cheri have quietly lived a life of service — choosing faithfulness over fame, and ministry over money.

Before tragedy struck, Bob pastored a church in Bedford Hills, one of the wealthiest communities in America. He had studied under nationally known pastors and evangelists, hosted a prominent Bible radio program, and ministered among wealthy professionals who worked in top Manhattan corporations. With neighbors like Robert Redford, Martha Stewart, and Jennifer O'Neill, Bob could have easily pursued influence, recognition, and financial prosperity in evangelism. Instead, he chose a simple life of shepherding people, visiting the sick, caring for shut-ins, and faithfully preaching the Gospel.

In September 1982, everything changed.

Alone in his church study preparing a sermon, Bob was shot three times. Blind and bleeding, he stumbled into the road, believing he was dying. A passerby stopped and rushed him to the hospital. After seven and a half hours of brain surgery, nine pints of blood, and a prognosis that said he should not have survived, Bob lived — though with lasting damage. Doctors told him that out of a thousand similar cases, perhaps only one survives.

Bob’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle. His sight returned in stages, though he still lives with permanent blind spots and long-term neurological damage from the bullet fragments that impacted his brain. The shooting cost him much — including his first marriage — but it never cost him his faith. Instead of bitterness, he chose to grow better. Instead of asking “Why me?” he chose to trust the God who held his future.

Years later, he married Cheri — a woman who had prayed for him during his darkest hours. Together, they have dedicated their lives to ministry. They did not chase celebrity platforms, large paydays, or national recognition. They chose the harder road: personal ministry. Hospital visits. Counseling. Chaplain work. Sitting with grieving families. Visiting shut-ins. Encouraging the overlooked.

Today, Bob is facing serious health challenges directly related to that 1982 brain injury. The long-term effects are now severely limiting his ability to serve in the ways he has for decades. He can no longer make hospital visits, serve effectively in his chaplain role, or travel to minister to those who depend on him. The very injury he survived by a miracle is now taking its toll.

For over forty years, Bob and Cheri have poured themselves out for others — often sacrificially and quietly. They never built wealth. They built people. They never pursued prosperity. They pursued purpose.

Now, they are in need.

Those who have been encouraged by Bob’s testimony, strengthened by his faith, prayed for in hospital rooms, or reminded that “God holds your future,” have an opportunity to give back. This is a couple who chose service over status and faithfulness over fortune.

Cheri is currently working to make ends meet, while Bob is in the hospital. Please help give her the opportunity to be with him and also focus on her own health concerns. In a moment when they cannot give as they once did, they need the support of the very community they have faithfully loved.

Bob has always said, “I do not know what my future holds, but I know God holds my future — and He holds my hand.”

Now is a chance for others to hold theirs.

If you aren’t comfortable giving money electronically, you can give it to me to get to Cheri, or to her directly.

Thank you so much