Pastor Rich Bitterman is a conservative evangelical pastor, writer, and small church ministry voice serving in the Missouri Ozarks. He pastors Cedar Ridge Baptist Church in Galena, Missouri, and writes Christ-centered, verse-by-verse Bible devotions for ordinary Christians who want to understand Scripture, love Jesus more deeply, and walk faithfully in everyday life.
Welcome, friend. I’m glad you’re here.
I serve a small rural church tucked into the hills of Stone County, Missouri. We are not a large congregation. We do not have flashing lights, polished productions, or a celebrity platform. We have open Bibles, worn hymnals, prayer requests written on scraps of paper, and people who love the Lord.
That is the world I write from.
My heart is to help Christians see the beauty of Christ in Scripture. Whether I am preaching from the pulpit, writing a devotional, preparing a Bible study, or encouraging pastors online, my aim is simple: preach Christ, strengthen the church, and help ordinary believers walk with God in the middle of ordinary life.
Pastor Rich Bitterman is the author of the No. 1 most-read Baptist Press story of 2025, a recognition that reflects the growing reach of his Christ-centered writing and his desire to serve the wider church through faithful biblical encouragement.
What Pastor Rich Is Known For
Pastor Rich is known for warm, biblical, and deeply pastoral writing that connects Scripture to real life. His ministry focuses on:
- Verse-by-verse Bible devotions
- Christ-centered pastoral encouragement
- Conservative evangelical Bible teaching
- Small church and rural ministry
- Practical discipleship for ordinary Christians
- Sermon and Bible study resources for pastors and lay leaders
- Social media outreach for churches and ministries
- Pastoral prayers rooted in Scripture
Through his blog, Substack newsletter, social media platforms, and local church ministry, Pastor Rich writes for believers who want more than quick inspiration. His goal is to help readers slow down, open the Bible, behold Christ, and live with faithfulness.
Where Pastor Rich Writes and Teaches
Pastor Rich publishes regular Bible devotions, pastoral reflections, and ministry resources through several platforms:
My Bible Thoughts with Pastor Rich
His blog features devotional articles, Bible study resources, pastoral reflections, topical Bible articles, book recommendations, and church ministry helps.
Old Paths & New Roads on Substack
His Substack newsletter offers deeper devotional writing, Bible study lessons, discipleship resources, pastoral encouragement, and paid resources for Christians who want to grow in Scripture.
Social Media Ministry
Pastor Rich shares short devotions, biblical reflections, pastoral encouragement, and gospel-centered content with a large online audience across platforms including X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and others.
Current Book Project
Pastor Rich is currently writing a book titled Dazzled by Christ, a Christ-centered work designed to help ordinary believers see the beauty, glory, tenderness, authority, and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ with fresh eyes.
The heart of the project is simple: many Christians know about Jesus, but they need to behold Him again. Not as a distant religious idea, but as the living Savior who walks through the pages of Scripture with mercy in His hands, authority in His voice, and glory shining through His humanity.
Pastor Rich is represented by literary agent Steve Laube of The Steve Laube Agency as he develops this work for publication.
Platform and Publishing Reach
Pastor Rich’s writing ministry reaches readers across several digital platforms through daily and near-daily devotional and pastoral content.
His current online reach includes approximately 85,000 followers on X/Twitter, 42,000 followers on Facebook, nearly 6,000 Substack subscribers, including more than 200 paid subscribers, and more than 5,300 followers on Medium, along with over 765 Medium email subscribers.
His website, RichBitterman.com, has received more than 1 million all-time views and more than 835,000 all-time visitors.
Pastor Rich is the author of the No. 1 most-read Baptist Press story of 2025. His writing has also appeared in Baptist Press, The Pathway, Kentucky Today, Christian Grandfather Magazine, The Aquila Report, The Gateway Pundit, and Media on Mission.
His primary audience includes evangelical Christians, pastors, church members, lay leaders, small church servants, and spiritually weary believers who are looking for biblical encouragement rooted in Scripture and centered on Christ.
This growing platform is especially suited for devotional writing, Bible teaching, discipleship resources, pastoral encouragement, and future book projects. His readers already engage with, share, and subscribe to Christ-centered content across multiple channels.
Through his Substack newsletter, Old Paths & New Roads, Pastor Rich also has a direct path for launch support, serialized previews, reader engagement, early endorsements, and future pre-order campaigns.
My Story
Before stepping into full-time ministry, I spent nearly two decades running a successful business in the Kansas City area. I loved building things, solving problems, and serving people. But in the second half of my life, God stirred something deeper in me—a call to preach the Word and shepherd His people.
I received my Master of Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and my Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Spurgeon College. Today, I have the joy and privilege of serving as the pastor of Cedar Ridge Baptist Church in Galena, MO, right in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks.
It’s a small church down a gravel road, but don’t let the size fool you. It’s full of faith, family, and love for God’s Word.
In addition to pastoring Cedar Ridge Baptist Church, I’m a published author with articles featured in Baptist Press, The Pathway (Missouri Baptist Convention), Kentucky Today, Gateway Pundit, Thinke, Christian Grandfather Magazine, The Aquila Report, and Media on Mission. I write to connect biblical truth with real-life stories…often drawn from the hills of the Missouri Ozarks…hoping to encourage believers and strengthen the church one word at a time.
Family & Everyday Life
I’ve been married to my best friend and encourager for over 30 years. My wife and I have two daughters—Haley and Sydney—who both teach in Missouri’s public schools. I’m also a proud grandfather to three grandsons and one granddaughter, who bring joy (and a bit of noise) to every visit.
When I’m not preaching, pastoring, or writing, you’ll find me gardening, fishing Canadian shield lakes, reading Tozer and Lloyd-Jones, or spending time with our two energetic yorkies, Louie and Gus.
What I’m Passionate About
Whether I’m behind the pulpit or behind a keyboard, my passion is the same: to preach Christ, build up the saints, and make much of the gospel in rural communities that are often overlooked.
I write daily devotions verse-by-verse through the Psalms, create resources for churches, and share thoughts on pastoral ministry, discipleship, and the beauty of simple church life. If you’re a fellow pastor, church leader, or just someone seeking gospel encouragement, you’re in the right place.
In addition to pastoring Cedar Ridge Baptist Church, I am available to speak for churches, retreats, conferences, men’s events, and other ministry gatherings. If you would like to learn more or inquire about booking, please visit my Invite Pastor Rich to Speak page.
Support My Ministry
If you’ve been blessed by the writing or resources here, I invite you to support this ministry through my Buy Me a Coffee page. Every small gift helps fuel this mission—whether it’s writing content, consulting churches on social media, or recording devotionals for the week ahead.
Let’s Stay Connected
Thanks for stopping by and spending a moment with me here. I’d love to connect further:
👉 Read my latest blog post
👉 Subscribe to my Substack newsletter
👉 Follow me on Twitter
And as always—if you’re ever near Galena, MO, I’d love for you to visit Cedar Ridge Baptist Church. We’ll have a spot saved for you on the pew.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is Pastor Rich Bitterman?
Pastor Rich Bitterman is a conservative evangelical pastor, writer, and Bible teacher. He serves as the pastor of Cedar Ridge Baptist Church, a small Southern Baptist congregation in the Missouri Ozarks. His ministry is centered on preaching Christ, teaching Scripture verse by verse, encouraging ordinary Christians, and helping small church pastors and believers grow in faithfulness.
Pastor Rich writes from the heart of local church ministry, with an open Bible, a pastor’s heart, and a deep love for Christ and His church.
What kind of pastor is Rich Bitterman?
Pastor Rich is a small church pastor with a conservative evangelical commitment to the authority of Scripture, the beauty of Christ, and the ordinary means of grace. His preaching and writing emphasize verse-by-verse exposition, biblical clarity, practical discipleship, and warm pastoral encouragement.
He believes God still does beautiful work in small places, through faithful churches, ordinary believers, and pastors who keep opening the Bible week after week.
What kind of content can I find on this website?
This website features Bible devotions, sermon manuscripts, pastoral prayers, Bible study guides, sermon reflections, Christian book recommendations, small church ministry resources, and practical encouragement for the Christian life.
The goal is simple: to help believers understand God’s Word, love the Lord Jesus Christ more deeply, and walk faithfully with Him in everyday life.
What does Pastor Rich write about?
Pastor Rich writes about Scripture, discipleship, pastoral ministry, small church life, rural ministry, prayer, suffering, encouragement, sermon preparation, and Christian faithfulness in ordinary life.
His writing is especially helpful for Christians who want to understand the Bible in plain language, small church pastors looking for encouragement, lay leaders preparing Bible studies, and believers who need steady, Christ-centered encouragement.
How does Pastor Rich approach Bible teaching?
Pastor Rich teaches the Bible verse by verse, with a focus on context, clarity, theological faithfulness, and practical application. His goal is to help readers see what the text says, what it means, how it points us to Christ, and how it speaks into real life.
His style is conversational, pastoral, and deeply rooted in the local church. He wants readers to feel less like they are reading a lecture and more like they are sitting across the table with an open Bible.
What makes Pastor Rich’s ministry unique?
Pastor Rich writes and pastors from the perspective of a small church shepherd. His ministry combines biblical conviction, pastoral warmth, rural church experience, and a heart for ordinary Christians who want to follow Jesus faithfully.
He is not writing from a celebrity platform or a distant academic tower. He is writing from the everyday world of church members, prayer meetings, hospital visits, sermon preparation, family burdens, and the quiet beauty of a small congregation gathered around the Word of God.
Why is small church and rural ministry important to Pastor Rich?
Small church and rural ministry matter deeply to Pastor Rich because many faithful churches serve in places that rarely receive attention. These congregations may be small in number, but they often carry deep love, strong relationships, and quiet faithfulness.
Pastor Rich believes God is still working powerfully in small churches, rural communities, and ordinary places. Part of his calling is to encourage pastors and believers who serve faithfully away from the spotlight.
Is Pastor Rich available to speak?
Yes. Pastor Rich is available to speak at churches, retreats, conferences, men’s events, pastor gatherings, and ministry events.
His speaking topics include Christ-centered preaching, Bible devotion, discipleship, small church encouragement, rural ministry, pastoral faithfulness, and social media outreach for churches.
Where can I read Pastor Rich’s daily devotions?
You can read Pastor Rich’s devotional writing here on his blog and through his Substack newsletter, Old Paths & New Roads. There he shares Bible devotions, pastoral reflections, discipleship resources, ministry encouragement, and faith-building content for ordinary Christians and church leaders.
How can I follow Pastor Rich’s ministry online?
You can follow Pastor Rich on X/Twitter at @w_bitterman, subscribe to his Substack newsletter Old Paths & New Roads, and visit this website regularly for new Bible devotions, sermon resources, pastoral articles, and ministry updates.
Can I use Pastor Rich’s content for my own Bible study or church group?
Yes. Pastor Rich encourages believers, pastors, teachers, and church leaders to use his sermon manuscripts, Bible devotions, prayers, and study guides for personal growth, Bible studies, Sunday school classes, small groups, and church teaching.
When sharing publicly, please credit Pastor Rich Bitterman and link back to his blog at www.richbitterman.com.
How can I support this ministry?
You can support Pastor Rich’s ministry by subscribing to his paid content on Substack, sharing his articles and devotions on social media, inviting others to read his work, and praying for the spread of the gospel through his local church, writing ministry, and online outreach.
Most of all, pray that Christ would be honored, Scripture would be treasured, and ordinary believers would be strengthened in the faith.