Bob Edgar is the general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the leading U.S. organization in the movement for Christian unity. He has headed the 45-million-member NCC since January 1, 2000. An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Dr. Edgar came to the Council from the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California, where he was president from 1990 to 2000. Dr. Edgar is well known for his service as a six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was the first Democrat in more than 120 years to be elected from the heavily Republican Seventh District of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Edgar has been a pastor, teacher, college chaplain, community organizer, and director of a think tank on national security issues. He serves on the boards of several organizations whose missions involve social justice. Dr. Edgar and his wife live in New Jersey and have three adult sons.