Building Redemptive Communities with Robert Loughery

What if the church stopped outsourcing care for the least of these to government — and started doing what we’re actually called to do?

In this powerful episode of Leveraging Success, Jeff Gerhardt sits down with Robert Loughery — real estate developer, former Bucks County Commissioner, and author of Building Redemptive Community. Robert shares his journey from Pennsylvania roots and decades in development and public service to discovering his calling to renew communities physically, relationally, and spiritually.

Together they explore the church’s role in addressing brokenness, the integration of faith and work, restoring the heart, gathering leaders for kingdom impact, and practical ways to move from conversation to action in our own backyards. Expect honest insights on leadership, family legacy, long-term journaling, and why believers in business, government, and development are uniquely positioned to make a difference right now.

In This Episode:

[00:00] Episode Intro & Welcome

[04:15] Robert Loughery Background: From Bucks County to Real Estate & County Commissioner

[09:50] The Master’s Program Journey and Discovering Calling

[16:30] Family Life, Raising Daughters, and Ongoing Parenting

[21:45] Writing Building Redemptive Community – The Journey and Battles

[28:20] The Church, Government, and Matthew 25 – Reclaiming Our Role

[35:10] Restored Hearts, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Kingdom Rate of Return (KRR)

[39:40] Gathering Leaders, Conferences, and Building Redemptive Community in Practice

[43:55] The Power of Journaling and Seeing God’s Faithfulness

[44:50] Closing Prayer & Final Thoughts

Notable Quotes

“Those are all the things that the church is supposed to be doing. Yet we’ve sort of given that over to the government to do. And it’s not really getting any better.” — Robert Loughery

“My calling is to build redemptive community — physically, relationally, and spiritually.” — Robert Loughery

“We talk about IRR… We talk about KRR — what’s the Kingdom Rate of Return?” — Robert Loughery

“I’ve been journaling for almost 25 years… I go back and see, ‘Oh no, it’s there.’ God really did say that.” — Robert Loughery

“We need to gather together… and allow the Holy Spirit to just sort of work into those conversations.” — Robert Loughery

Our Guest

Robert Loughery is a real estate investor and developer, and the Founder and President of Nehemiah Development Company, Inc. With over twenty years of experience, he has a strong passion for community revitalization and economic development. His work includes redevelopment, in-fill, commercial, residential, and industrial projects, with over one million square feet acquired, developed, or leased across the Mid-Atlantic, Southern, and Mid-Western United States.

He is the author of Building Redemptive Community: What Christians Can Do To Make Community Great Again and founder of the Building Redemptive Community ministry platform.

Robert served as Bucks County Commissioner from 2011 to 2020, including multiple terms as Chairman. He led key initiatives to improve housing, economic development, and community revitalization, earning the 2018 Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence.

He currently serves on several boards, including Citizens & Northern Bank, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Grand View Health, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

A 1987 graduate of Central Bucks East High School, Robert holds a BA from Dickinson College and served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. He and his wife Kathy live in Bedminster Township and have three daughters: Grace, Evelyn, and Amelia.

Resources & Links

Jeff Gerhardt | LinkedIn | X (Twitter) | Priority Living

Robert Loughery | LinkedIn | Building Redemptive Community | Nehemiah Development Company | Book

The Master’s Program | Leveraging Success Podcast | Life Balance Assessment

The King Is Coming by John Bevere | Hearing God by Dallas Willard | The King Is Coming

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