Two by Two in Missouri: Pastor Robert Hayden Named Assistant Ministry Leader

Pastor Robert Hayden has been named Missouri assistant ministry leader and in that role, will lead Bible studies in the state Capitol when ministry leader Pastor Matt Goodsell is away on his other CapMin job, expanding the ministry in North America.

It is a responsibility Pastor Hayden is eager to accept.

“I truly believe teaching the Bible to political leaders is a mission field that has been neglected,” he said. “I believe wholeheartedly our politicians need to be lifted in prayer and encouraged through Bible studies.”

Pastor Goodsell has led weekly Bible studies to legislators, legislative aides, and Capitol staff since 2019. New responsibilities were added in 2023 when he was named CapMin North America global director and charged with growing CapMin throughout the U.S. and Canada.

As the new position requires a great deal of travel, he invited his long-time friend, Pastor Hayden to lead in his absence the five weekly Bible studies he established in the Capitol.

Before he was officially named assistant ministry leader, Pastor Hayden had been working with and filling in for Pastor Goodsell at the Capitol for several months.

While he believes Pastor Hayden is a fantastic fit, Pastor Goodsell said he wasn’t the one who picked him for the job.

“God chose Pastor Robert to serve as a disciple maker and ministry leader in Missouri with CapMin,” Pastor Goodsell said. “However, I had the pleasure of identifying his passion for those who serve in the political arena and for his special spiritual gift mix that gels perfectly with the methodology of Capitol Ministries.”

The pastors are good friends who met more than a decade ago at Ashland Baptist Church in Ashland, MO, where Pastor Goodsell served as lead pastor.

At that time, Pastor Hayden was working full-time for a business in the human resources department, but had always been interested in ministry.

In their many conversations, Pastor Goodsell urged his friend to explore his love of ministry by teaching Sunday school and by ministering to people in nursing homes.

“Matt was very encouraging and uplifting,” said Pastor Hayden. “It wasn’t until I began teaching and ministering to people that I truly knew ministry is what I was called to do.”

Pastor Hayden pursued the call and today serves as the part-time lead pastor with Carrington Baptist Church in Fulton, MO. He continues to work full-time in human resources. A native of central Missouri, Pastor Hayden is married to Bridget and the couple has two adult children and three grandchildren.

The tug to minister to political leaders became stronger in 2022 when Pastor Hayden watched Pastor Goodsell resign as senior pastor of Ashland Baptist Church to minister to political leaders full time with Capitol Ministries.

Pastor Hayden shared with his friend his growing interest in CapMin and in ministering to political leaders and the two began to pray together intentionally about this potential new direction for his life.

When the opportunity became available, and after much prayer, both men felt Pastor Hayden was the right person to be the assistant ministry leader in Missouri.

Pastor Goodsell said the ministry will be in excellent hands in his absence.

“I have been blessed to know Robert for many years in life and in ministry and so I can testify that one of his admirable character traits is that he is a man of trust who preaches the whole counsel of God,” he said.

Pastor Hayden received personal affirmation that the new direction was right a few days later when he led the Carrington Baptist Church congregation through the book of Acts, and taught Acts 9:15, one of CapMin’s foundational passages.

That passage reads, But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.” 

In this verse, God is explaining Paul’s mission to preach the Gospel to the people groups of Gentiles and Jews. Tucked between them is the affinity group (people linked by profession) of kings, who are also referred to in the Scriptures as “all in authority.”

The passage further stirred Pastor Hayden to consider leading Bible studies to local city and county public servants through Local Government Ministries (LGM), CapMin’s endeavor to establish discipleship Bible studies to the 500,000 local city and county public servants in the 40,000 incorporated communities across America.

Pastor Hayden’s enthusiasm for CapMin’s mission deepened when he participated in CapMin’s International Recruiting and Training Conference in Washington, D.C., held in November.

“I was sold before the end of the first day of training,” he said, “I was so impressed with the in-depth Bible studies written by Ralph Drollinger, president and founder of CapMin, and the ongoing support the ministry provides to its ministry leaders.”

After completing the required four-day training, Pastor Hayden was certified as a qualified CapMin ministry leader.

He shares CapMin’s vision to reach government leaders at all levels, and bring CapMin to a new generation of leaders while building relationships.

In Missouri, the pastors achieve this objective by leading separate Bible studies to legislative aides.

“We have politically minded legislative assistants who, in the future, will likely run for office,” Pastor Hayden said. “So starting these relationships now allows us a better opportunity to be connected with them in the future.”

“These are going to be our future representatives and senators. We are establishing relationships now so they are in place when they go on to larger roles.”

Pastor Hayden would like to eventually become involved with CapMin full-time, a vision that Pastor Goodsell endorses.

“Robert exhibits a dedicated heart for serving Christ and a willing spirit to sacrifice in the political sphere as already evidenced by successfully leading two of the established Capitol staff Bible studies,” Pastor Goodsell said. “These efforts will lead to a dedicated House Representative Bible study into the 2025 legislative session and so I hope individuals and churches see the need and financially partner with Robert.”

Drollinger often says ministries to political leaders are measured in years not in weeks or months. Pastor Hayden said he is dedicated for the long run and hopes he will find supporters who want to reach political leaders with God’s Word. “This is a commitment for a lifetime,” he said.

Pastor Hayden is grateful that his friendship with Pastor Goodsell, his participation in the CapMin training, and obedience to the strong tug he felt from God has given his life an unexpected and exciting new direction.

“My eyes have been opened to the importance of the Christian responsibility to teach God’s Word to public servants and stand up for the Gospel message,” he said. “Everyone needs to be given the opportunity to accept Christ.”

CapMin ministry leaders are self-supporting missionaries. To support Pastor Hayden, click here.