Biographical Sketch of
Pastor Roland Ferdinand Preisler
Born in Hamelin, West Germany on November 29, 1957, Pastor Roland is an only child. His family immigrated to the United States in April 1960; settled in Eastpointe, Michigan; and joined the Grosse Pointe Baptist Church in Grosse Pointe Woods. They became naturalized US citizens. Roland’s parents modeled a consistent Christian walk and led him to personal faith in Jesus Christ. He came to know the Lord as his Savior at the age of nine, was baptized as a believer by immersion, and joined the church in April 1967. He felt the Lord’s call to be a pastor ever since.
After attending public schools through the fifth grade, Roland attended St. Thomas Lutheran School in Eastpointe for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and Lutheran High School East in Harper Woods for the ninth through twelfth grades. He graduated from LHE in 1976 as a member of the National Honor Society.
From 1976 to 1980 Roland attended Detroit Bible College (later William Tyndale College) in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Majoring in Bible and minoring in English and New Testament Greek, he was elected Junior Class Vice President and Senior Class President, and was listed in Who's Who Among College Students. In 1980 he graduated at the top of his class, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Religious Education with highest honors along with special awards in both theology and preaching.
During Roland’s college years his family took a leave of absence from their home church to establish the Garfield Baptist Church (later Garfield Community Church) in Clinton Township, Michigan. There Roland enjoyed many opportunities to develop ministry skills by assisting successive pastors in preaching, teaching, leading worship services, and serving as a deacon and as Visitation Director.
After college from 1980 to 1984 Roland attended Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, majored in Systematic Theology, and later graduated with the four-year degree of Master of Theology. He also became actively involved at Fellowship Bible Church North in Plano, Texas during those years, serving in a one-year, part-time paid pastoral internship. On July 17, 1984, he was ordained to the Gospel Ministry under the direction of the senior pastor, Dr. Gene A. Getz.
After seminary Roland returned to Michigan and, together with some close friends, founded Fellowship Bible Church, now located in Warren, in the summer of 1984. He served as FBC’s pastor through June 2005. In January 1991 the church established a daughter church located in Utica, Michigan. The people of Fellowship Bible Church were very affirmative of Roland’s ministry over the years.
On June 11, 1988, he married a wonderful woman, Heidi Veronica Schuelke, who loves the Lord Jesus Christ and has proven to be an excellent pastor's wife. The Lord blessed them with a daughter, Charissa Joy, in July of 1993. They have home-schooled Charissa since Kindergarten. She placed her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior, and Roland had the privilege of baptizing her on February 15, 2004. The Preislers’ prayer and heart’s desire is that their family may be a blessing to all whom the Lord brings across their path.
During his pastorate in Michigan Roland accepted invitations to teach part-time high school Bible at Macomb Christian Schools in Warren and various courses for William Tyndale College in Farmington Hills. He also accepted an invitation to attend the third summit of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy in Chicago. To further his education, he took several Doctor of Ministry degree program courses at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He was also an active member of the Blue Water Association of Southern Baptist Churches, and accepted an invitation from the Executive Director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan to serve on the State Executive Board. Roland is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, a professional society of Christian scholars. In addition, he served as a Spiritual Director for De Colores Ministries of Southeast Michigan, a lay-led discipleship retreat ministry.
In July 2005 the Lord led him to accept a call to become pastor of Grace Community Church in Dallas, Pennsylvania, and his family has enjoyed settling into the beautiful country of northeast Pennsylvania among the faithful believers with whom they serve. They are very grateful for the open doors of ministry the Lord has shown them here and the gracious and enthusiastic support they receive from the GCC congregation.
