Pastor Bob launched his recently-published autobiography, Running For The Applause Of One, at the Bathurst Baptist Church on Sunday.

He hopes the list of life experiences outlined in the book will help others going through the same things.

"It's a story that can be helpful to people," he said.

After writing the first 11 chapters of the 12-chapter book himself, Pastor Bob asked his wife to author the final chapter.

"Really the book is about my experience growing up and also going into ministry, into churches [and] dealing with some of the issues that we have to face," Pastor Bob said.

"I went through, in 1975, a divorce ... now a lot of pastors don't get divorced."

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After his divorce, Pastor Bob - with the help of another lady - ran a group for divorced people where they helped around 700 people over a nine-year period.

"Out of your bad experience you can use it for good, I say the negatives can become positives," he said.

Another painful experience outlined in his book is the tragic loss of a child.

"My youngest daughter had open heart surgery at four and eight months and died. In all of that turmoil I had to keep serving and keep being a pastor," he said.

Ordained in 1971, Pastor Bob moved to Bathurst in 1977 and was the pastor at the Baptist Church for over 13 years.

He then moved to Sydney where, in addition to preaching, he helped underprivileged children overseas. These children will receive every dollar he makes from book sales.

"I have a connection with Bangladesh, I've been there nine times now and I help support a children's home in Savar just outside of Dhaka. They have over 400 children," Pastor Bob said.

"When I retired I couldn't financially support them like I was and one day I was out at a sheering shed and I thought 'what's all this under my feet?' So I bagged sheep manure, sold it and called it Merino Magic and I raised over $50,000."

Pastor Bob also taught scripture in schools for just over half a century and, regardless of the bad experiences along the way, he has fond memories of his life and profession.

"I just love being a pastor. I say to kids in school a shepherd looks after sheep but a pastor looks after people," he said.

"If I could turn the clock back and do it all again I would."

Running For The Applause Of One can be purchased at the Bathurst Baptist Church.

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