Rus Roach: Catalyst, Mentor, Friend
by Bill Latham, FBC member
Who is most likely the only person in our church crazy enough to approach Carrie Underwood in a crowded airport and ask her if she is a high school friend of his daughter...and then ask for her autograph even after she had let him know he had insulted her? Rus has a gift for creating or finding humor in almost any situation. Who of us hasn't laughed at his crazy antics, his unpredictable stories, and the good-natured fun he is likely to poke at anyone. Rus' unflappable nature and his remarkable sense of humor are two of the things I have come to value and appreciate most during our 20-year friendship.
More than that, however, I owe a debt of gratitude to this zany friend of mine. With the exception of my wife, Rus has been a long-term catalyst, mentor, and friend more than any other person in our church. When he enlisted me for a mission trip to Kenya in 1990, I had no idea that God was using him to bring me to a major turning point in my life. As Rus mentored me through that experience, God engendered a zeal for missions in my heart and continued using Rus to guide, encourage, and mentor the decidedly missions-oriented direction my life has taken since then.
I admire and respect Rus not only for his impact on my life, but also for the way His own ministry is defined by his heart for the lost, hurting, and disenfranchised, beginning in the shadow of our church and extending literally around the world. Rus is the one who ministers daily to those who come to us needing the very basics of life. Through his individual effort and by working with the Missions Committee and other groups, Rus brings into being and gives impetus in some degree to virtually every mission trip and project of our church.
Thank you, Rus, for the way you so often have worked unseen and unacknowledged to make
"as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" a reality in our lives.
Also in the October 8, 2007 Issue of The Evangel
» Frank and to the Point
» Children’s Trunk or Treat
» Minister of Music Listening Sessions
» Global Missions Banquet
» Anniversary Reception for Frank & Rus
» 2008 Deacon Nominees
» Craft Your Christmas
» Oatmeal for Jesus
» Wednesday Evening Discipleship Classes
» Rus Roach: Catalyst, Mentor, Friend
» Upcoming Service Opportunities
» Good News Celebrates 70th Anniversary
» Give A Shoebox
» Are You A Veteran?
» Share Jesus Without Fear in Nashville
» This Week in Worship
