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    Anyone who has received from or taken part in the ministry of Grace during the past twenty-five years, is surely aware of the great anointing and gifts of our pastor and the harmonious support and contributions of his family to this ministry. One would also assume they are aware of how they stand out as truly great people. One brief interview, however, is all it takes to pick up the tone of their motivation and view of their role here. Pastor Bob and Loretta are most unassuming, and appear to consider themselves quite regular people.
    Have you ever wondered how the Yandians chose their children’s names? They were named after their parents; Robb is named for his dad, who is really Robert, and Lori’s name is short for Loretta. An even deeper question—do the Yandians have a junk room at their house? Yes, they’re just like the rest of us. What about musical tastes? Pastor Bob loves rock and roll, while Loretta enjoys classical.
    Pastor Bob’s view of the past twenty-five years—where the church has come from and where it is headed—is that the Bible teaching has always been here. Now, the church is finding a young audience. The Yandians were young when they took over, and are now in an older generation. What is needed to continue to attract the younger generations? Pastor Bob believes it is, “To be a good leader.”
    Pastor Bob commented, “You have a tendency to follow a ministry as your family grows.” Now that the Yandians are grandparents, this role has made them aware again of the importance of teaching even the youngest ones. Four active grandchildren under seven can tend to draw your attention to that age group.
    Loretta, when asked if she considers herself a co-pastor, responded that she does not. She views her being Mrs. Bob Yandian as a job of its own, and her main task is to support her husband. Loretta admits that, initially, she did struggle internally with her own thoughts that perhaps she should act as a co-pastor. It was during a time when many ministers’ wives were assuming that title. Pastor Bob, however, explained to the church early on how the roles would be distributed. That gave clear direction to everyone and Loretta, as well, laid to rest any inclination towards forcing herself outside of what God had in mind for her here.
    How does Loretta decide on which ministry trips to accompany Pastor Bob? She says she chooses “pretty much what I want to do.” This includes, sometimes, traveling to keep her husband company. Her favorite trip was to the Ukraine, about four years ago. She says of the occasion, “The people were wonderful; the country was horrid.” By this, she refers to the conditions and the oppressive, depressing atmosphere in which the people live.
    How do the Yandians feel about Grace Christian school? Pastor Bob believes that Grace students develop, “…something the world doesn’t have—stability.” Loretta agrees; she states that, “The world will turn away from a smart person in favor of a stable one.” She adds that Grace graduates have excellence, while others may just settle for less.
    Pastor Bob and Loretta have not just servants’ hearts, but a hard-working, people-oriented perspective that does not seem to allow them to sit back and brag about themselves. If you expect to hear well-rehearsed, media-savvy responses to interview questions, you’ll have to go somewhere else. This pastor and wife have the next twenty-five years to plan.