BOLIVAR – Like many preachers’ kids, Roy Reed, 54, doesn’t have a life-altering transformation story surrounding the moment of his salvation.
“And Satan has used every bit of that to his advantage, too,” Reed, a member of the Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC), said. “I was saved when I was seven years old and over the years Satan would constantly hammer me with thoughts of, ‘You’re not really saved. You don’t even remember it.’”
And though in his heart he knew he had given his life to Jesus, Reed needed God to confirm it in his mind and silence the doubts he carried once and for all.
“I prayed to God asking him to remind me of the moment of my salvation … and he answered my prayer,” he said. “God allowed me to relive my salvation experience in a dream. It was awesome.”
With that reassurance, Reed has continued to walk with the Lord. Whether it has been in his career – he owns and operates Ash Grove Concrete and Supply – or in his 30 years of teaching Sunday school at First Baptist Church Bolivar (FBC) alongside his wife, Amber, Reed has faithfully put God at the center.
However, for many of those years, Reed said he was doing it for the wrong reasons.
“For many years my walk with God was mostly about me trying to be a person that God could love,” he said. “I never thought I was worthy.”
Reed said it was when he took a Freedom in Christ class, a class based on the books written by Neil Anderson, that his eyes were opened to the depth of God’s love for him.
“Until the class I never really ‘got’ the concept that I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” he said. “The class explained it to the point where I finally get it and it’s made a huge impact on how I see things. I want everyone I know, and everyone I don’t know for that matter, to learn what I’ve learned.”
Reed’s journey has also led him on many international mission trips, starting with his first trip to Honduras back in 1994.
“Mission trips have and will continue to be a big part of our lives,” Reed said. “We’ve built a school in El Salvador and done work in Venezuela. To be able to use the knowledge I have and what God’s blessed me with to further his kingdom is pretty amazing.”
Reed also has plans to use his knowledge of construction to further God’s kingdom right here in Missouri. He, along with many other Missouri Baptists, is planning to help with a scheduled addition that will take place at the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief building in coming months.
“I love the ministry of Dwain Carter (Disaster Relief strategist) and the Disaster Relief team and if God can use me, I want to be used,” Reed said. “I’ve also gone through some of the training with Disaster Relief and plan to serve alongside them as soon as I get the opportunity.”
Now in his second year as an MBC Executive Board member, Reed said he has enjoyed the experience, though he admits he is still intimidated enough that he hasn’t said too much.
“But, wow, I have learned a lot and met some wonderful men of God,” he said, adding that there are differing views on some matters in the MBC, but that “we’ve got to be careful in our different opinions … get rid of any malice or anger or we will get to a place where Satan can get a foothold. We’ve got to be as one so that we can focus our attention on serving the Lord and winning souls to Christ. God wants us to be reunited. I’m praying for that.”