Break It Down and Make It Plain

It has been my pleasure to know Roy since he assumed his final pastorate prior to retirement, Westgate Baptist Church in Lancaster, Pa. As the shepherd of our small, older congregation, he brought the priceless lessons of biblical relevance and human relationships gained from his outreach in pulpits and prisons. Out of his work and that of his wife, Judy, Westgate became a multicultural congregation with a vision of mission that has engaged hearts and hands. And in all of his work, Roy has given uncompromising credit to God, and to the journey of ministry and understanding in which God has guided him. In the pages that follow you will experience many chapters and moments from that journey. You will feel the painful anguish of broken lives, and the joyous renewal of wholeness through God’s love. You will indeed meet “the least of these,” and the faithful response of seeing Christ in them. You likely will see possibilities for your own ministry, your own spiritual growth. Almost certainly, you will be challenged, enlightened and inspired. I invite you now to begin a story that reveals in so many ways God’s care and provision, a narrative of one man’s life of trust in God’s leading and in what can be accomplished through that trust. ---Richard W. Schramm, former Deputy General Secretary for Communication, American Baptist Churches USA