Biography

 

Ernest Richards was a much beloved teacher at New Tribes Bible Institute for 26 years. Over that time, he taught the Book of Romans (for 16 years), as well as Hebrews, Ephesians, Galatians, the Life of Christ, I, II and III John, Psalms, Acts and Minor Prophets, as well as Evangelism, Dispensations, Homiletics, Hermeneutics, Bibliology and Cults and Heresies, and others. 

 

In 1986, Ernest was challenged to his very core through “The Shadow of the Almighty,” the story of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, and signed up to be a tribal missionary with New Tribes Mission. However, he and his young bride, Karen, were asked by mission leadership to stay in the States and take over the radio ministry, “Call of the Tribes,” because of his eight years of experience as an announcer, producer and writer in commercial radio and his B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Michigan, where Ernest graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1977.

 

A year and a half later, there was a pressing need for another teacher at the Bible Institute just 15 minutes down the road from “Call of the Tribes.” Ernest and Karen were so firm in their commitment to “going to the regions beyond,” they always agreed they could only justify remaining stateside if they were convinced in their hearts they could make a greater contribution to world missions by staying than by physically going overseas. With that thought in mind, Ernest came on the faculty at NTBI, believing God could use his life to change the lives of others. His hope: to multiply his own potential as a missionary by passing on an unyielding confidence in and undying passion for God’s precious Word, as well as the life-transforming truths of every believer’s glorious position IN CHRIST.

 

Ever since, Ernest and Karen have had the joy of a thrilling and fulfilling ministry in seeing literally hundreds of lives touched and radically transformed by God’s Incredible Word!