After 43 years of ministry, 30 years as senior pastor, Bruce Humbert retired from Sauk Trail Baptist Temple in Richton Park, IL. Humbert graduated from Baptist Bible College in 1974 with a music degree. After graduating and marrying his high school sweetheart, Laurie, they served at Southwest Baptist in Wichita Falls, TX with Larry Lilley. Fifteen months later they returned home to serve alongside Humbert’s father, Don Humbert, a 1968 graduate of BBC, at Sauk Trail. The senior Humbert passed away in 1989 and the younger assumed the pastorate of the church his father had started on the south side of Chicago.
During his thirty-year ministry, he led the church to build a multi-purpose auditorium, raised nearly $9 million for BBFI missions, reached a high Friend Day attendance of 1,136, started a Bible institute, started two churches in Chicagoland, and led hundreds of souls to Christ.
Humbert has served the BBF in Illinois as State Rep and Chairman for six years. On a national level, he served as BBFI Mission Rep for Netherlands, Singapore, and Central America, BBFI 3rdVice President, and trustee of BBC for eleven years. He has supported the Tribunefor his entire ministry as well as BBFI missionaries almost exclusively. He has preached in hundreds of mission conferences and in over 20 countries.
Humbert was saved and baptized in the Akron Baptist Temple. He and his wife Laurie have five daughters, all who attended BBC at the same time. They survived four weddings in 19 months. They now have eleven grandchildren.
After a two-year transition, Sauk Trail called Sam Waterloo as pastor. On May 26, 2019, Humbert “passed the mantle” by removing his coat and placing it on Waterloo. Shortly afterward, Waterloo honored Humbert by recognizing him as pastor emeritus.