(Robert) R. W. Schambach was born on April 3, 1926, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Harry Ellsworth and Ann Moyer Schambach.
An outgoing youth, he was born again on a street corner when an evangelist (C. M. Ward) gave an altar call after preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a gathered crowd. Robert felt an immediate call to preach, but decided to pursue other dreams first. Eventually he joined the U.S. Navy, and served as a navy boiler-maker on a destroyer in the South Pacific and Asia during Word War II. After seeing God preserve his life during many dangerous encounters and witnessing the repatriation of American POW’s, R.W. totally surrendered to God and determined to preach the gospel wherever God sent him, in order to see others released from the prison and bondage of sin and find the true joy of freedom through Christ.
Returning from the war, Schambach enrolled into Bible school, where he met and married his wife, Winnie. He was ordained by C.M. Ward and began pastoring a church. He received his formal training at Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri, in the mid-1940s.
Robert was influenced by the tent crusades of T.L. Osborn and later by A.A. Allen. Many outstanding miracles were accomplished through the ministry of these men and R.W. knew that God had called him to be a part of this. As one of A.A. Allen’s crusades came to an end he asked R.W. to become a part of his team. This began several years of traveling throughout the U.S. helping with the crusades, preaching some services, and doing the advance work. Finally, he felt God calling him to begin his own ministry. He founded 4 ‘tent churches’ in large cities and began his popular radio program, The Voice of Power. His trademark phrase, “You don’t have any trouble. All you need is faith in God” has stirred faith in multitudes.
Brother Schambach’s ministry to the hurting has been received in many nations of the world: throughout Europe, Russia, India, Asia, the Philippines, Africa, the West Indies, Central America, and South America. He continues to partner financially with the establishment of churches and Bible schools in Russia and China; with an orphanage in Indonesia and Haiti; with a mega-city outreach in Mexico City; and with urban outreaches in New York City.
He preached an uncompromising word of faith, followed by signs and wonders.
Schambach was Married to Mary Winifred Donald (born September 3, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). He met her while she was a student at the Eastern Bible Institute of the Assemblies of God in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the following year, when on September 4, 1948, (just 1 day after Mary’s birthday), the couple were married, and had two sons and a daughter: Bobby, Bruce and Donna.
Donna Schambach is a pastor and faith healer in the Tyler area.
Schambach had six grandchildren: Rachel, Bobby III, Mark, Amanda and Christi.
He was married to the wife for 61 years before she died from natural causes in Tyler, Texas, on April 20, 2010, at age 83.
Two years later (January 17, 2012), Schambach died of a heart attack at the age of 86. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.