Robert J. Payne was born in Detroit, Michigan as the youngest of four children. He accepted Christ as Savior when he was 12 years old.
After graduating from high school he attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. He completed his college education at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa with a B.A. in Biblical Studies. He also earned a Th.M. and Th.D. (summa cum laude) from Andersonville Theological Seminary in Camilla, Georgia. Further graduate training was pursued at International Baptist Seminary in Tempe, AZ.
Dr. Payne has taught various Biblical and theological subjects on the college and graduate level (Masters and Doctoral) in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and Canada. He formerly was a faculty member of the National Theological College and Graduate School, and is presently a faculty member of the Biblical Theological Seminary in Amman, Jordan. Dr. Payne pastored at Berean Baptist Church of Belleville, Michigan for over 22 years. He came to us from Moncton, New Brunswick (Canada) in 2017 where he was pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church and president of Emmanuel Baptist Bible Institute for 4 1/2 years.
Dr. Payne has been the moderator, and an officer in the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America (IBFNA).
Dr. Payne and his wife, Becky have been married almost 35 years, and have a married daughter and three grandchildren.