I came to the Atlantic District as a second career pastor, age 46. Ron was a pastor to me and a role model in the sort of care that an effective pastor will give to his people. For example, he would visit every pastor and his wife in the District at least once a year. He always asked to be invited to dinner so that he could see the pastor's family and especially to listen to the wives. My wife was blessed that he always asked about her comfort with the church and her marriage. She could tell that he knew that a healthy relationship between pastor and wife was important to the congregation, but she had at times felt that the Synod paid little attention to this dimension of ministry.