Ronald L. Tottingham, Ph.D. is the 1974 founder and 33-year pastor of Empire Baptist Temple, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As a pastor he led the church to establish several ministries including a church academy and seminary at which he has been a full-time professor and theologian since 1977. Dr. T served in the US Marines and in Vietnam as an infantry machine gunner. He continues his connection with the Corps by holding offices in the Marine Corps League. His highest Marine Corps decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit citation, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross (bronze star), and others. Since 2007 he has served as a federal chaplain endorser. He is also an active SD State Prison Chaplain, and counselor, having worked with combat veterans and their families for over 40 years. He holds PhDs in counseling and traumatology. He has done out-patient counseling for Offutt AFB mental health services, held many training seminars and workshops on post-traumatic stress management world-wide, and done vocational work with the Rehabilitation Services for the Handicapped. In 1983 he became a 2Lt with the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and after two months was promoted to Major as a chaplain. In 2007 he received a Colonel's commission as a Chaplain with the U.S. Service Command. In 2009 he was promoted to Brigadier General and 2012 to Major General. He was service-connected medically retired as at the grade of Colonel (06) in 2007. Dr. T is listed in six Who's Who, was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel, honored a New Mexico 'Estimado Amigo', an Arkansas 'Traveler', twice with The Rev. Dr. Ron Tottingham Day by the Governor of South Dakota and with The Rev. Dr. Ron Tottingham Day by the Mayor of Sioux Falls and presented with the key to the city, and in January 2016 he was honored as a 'Baptist Divine'. He has written many books, pamphlets, and flyers, several translated into foreign languages. He is married to the former Linda Morris. They have been married since May 1967. The Tottinghams have three children, eleven grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren as of 2020.
