Robb Lapp Working at 88
Robb Lapp leads an interesting, enterprising life. Professionally, he has worked as a pastor in mostly non-traditional roles. He graduated from Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) in 1957. While at CTS he met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and later answered MLK’s call for white clergy to come to Selma to help in the Civil Rights Movement. He worked in a traditional role as a youth pastor in Michigan. In addition, he and his wife Jan started and led two United Church of Christ churches in the Denver Metro Area. However, much of Rev. Lapp’s career has been devoted to a non-traditional pastoral path: racial reconciliation, creation of racially integrated communities, and low-income housing.
In the 1960s Rev. Lapp led an organization in Denver that helped black middle-class families integrate all-white neighborhoods in Denver and helped less fortunate families upgrade substandard housing in their minority neighborhoods. He later worked under Title VII in Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society Program, where he worked to organize and build new communities that were racially and socially integrated. His most successful effort was the creation of the governance and municipal services at The Woodlands north of Houston, Texas.
At age 65, Rev. Lapp retired from full time work for pay to work as a volunteer, where he continues to utilize his expertise in developing real estate and organizations. At age 72, a judge appointed Robb and Jan became guardians of their two-year-old great-granddaughter Aubrey. He and Jan remained actively involved in Aubrey’s life as the guardianship transferred to other family members that lived close by, due to Jan developing Alzheimer’s. Aubrey is graduating high school this month. In addition, Robb was the primary caregiver to Jan when she developed Alzheimer’s.
Robb has served on the board of CTS, where he led the process of real estate redevelopment of the campus buildings. In Denver, he co-founded and continues to serve as board chair of Archway Communities, which provides subsidized housing and social services for low-income families and disabled adults. He returned to seminary and in 2017 earned his second degree from CTS, a Masters of Sacred Theology. His thesis is titled “Hitting the Streets with Jesus-A Spiritual Journey.” In 2021 CTS honored him as “Distinguished Alum of the Year.”
In his 9th Decade, he has published an autobiography, Listening for the Holy. Through Archway he remains actively involved in the lives of families who struggle at the margin of homelessness. For an introduction to this great organization, check out this video on their website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsJKeaXfCHs
Reflecting on his life, he says:
“I’ve been different. I haven’t tried to imitate anybody. Well, anybody except Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., and my mother.” As far as his current life calling, he says “I am energized. I am spiritually renewed. I’m positive because The Holy is giving me the strength and energy. I’m doing what I’m called to do.”
In his memoir, “Listening For The Holy,” he writes:
“I appear to have found a productive way to keep going. When, as an older person, you are continuing to care for your neighbor, you are also saving your own life. Just because you are beyond your prime, the Holy has not stopped calling. Continuing to make life work for others is a force that keeps one’s soul and body functional. Life is a gift. It is given as an opportunity and an energy to make the world a better place. One is free to choose. But when you quit the struggle for good, your soul dies before your body does.”
For brevity, I have left out whole chapters of Rev. Lapp’s very productive life. If you would like to know more, I recommend his memoir “Listening for the Holy: A Life Journey” by Robinson G. Lapp. It is available on Kindle and as a regular book from Amazon .
Do you have a practice of Listening for the Holy in your life? It could be something as simple as a morning routine of a few minutes of mediation and reflection.
Who do you know who could use some help? It could be something as simple as a neighbor who is alone and would appreciate a regular visit, or a child who needs to be tutored in reading at your local elementary school.
Do you know someone who is working or volunteering past age 70? I would love to hear their story.
russ@strategicexit.com
