Beech Glen Baptist Church in Mars Hill celebrated the 50th anniversary in ministry of its pastor Troy Rogers during a special celebration Oct. 26.
Rogers, 66, has had eight pastorates in six Baptist churches in North and South Carolina, with two of the churches calling him twice. The churches include: Bethel, Little Creek and now Beech Glen, in Mars Hill; Paynes Chapel in Marshall, and Longs Chapel in Weaverville. He also was pastor of Cross Roads Baptist in South Carolina.
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Troy Rogers celebrated his 50 years in the ministry with a special observance Oct. 26 at Beech Glen Baptist Church in Mars Hill where he is pastor.
For 12 years of his ministry, Rogers was a bi-vocational preacher, simultaneously working as a machine shop operator, foreman and pastor. For six years in the’90s, Rogers was director of missions for the French Broad Baptist Association, which includes churches in Madison and North Buncombe counties.
“I know two things,” he often says. “I know I’m saved, and I know God called me to preach.”
His friend, cousin and fellow minister Charles Rogers, grew up with Rogers and was there when Troy brought his first message. “He was always sincere,” Charles Rogers said. “He was a typical boy, of course, but he always stayed true to the Lord.”
In a time when many pastors have very publicly failed to practice what they preach, “Troy is an example of what a preacher should be,” Charles said. “I have the highest respect for that man.”
According to the Rogers’ oldest son, Terry, his dad lives a life of consistency and sincerity and “practices what he preaches every day,” Terry said.
Younger brother Kevin agrees. “If he preaches it in the pulpit on Sunday, he believes the same thing at the house,” Kevin said.
Rogers married the former Louise Maynard in October 1960 when the two 18-year-olds “slipped off” and got married one weekend.
Even though Louise has been physically limited by multiple sclerosis in recent years, she continues to support her husband’s ministry with tasks like making calls, writing cards, and praying faithfully.
Terry calls his dad a “builder of churches.” At Cross Roads, in fact, Troy and men from the church spent months hands-on building a family life center.
His desire to better understand the Bible and biblical history led him to seek higher education and he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Mid Atlantic Bible College and Seminary in Rock Hill, S.C.
All who know Rogers know that in addition to being a fisher of men, he is also a fisher of, well, fish. Troy had been an avid fisherman for some time when he invited Charles Rogers to go with him one day.
“I caught a trout that day that was 21 inches long, and I was hooked,” Charles said. Charles recalls that for years after that he and Troy would take off Fridays to go fishing.
“We’ve spent many a cold day on the riverbank when the tips of our rods would freeze. We’d go fish, and then some days we’d just sit and talk about our ministries and our churches. I guess he was my pastor during that time and I was his,” Charles said.