Continuing with the Passing The Torch series, I want to talk about another minister who had a profound impact on my life. Interesting thing is, he’s no longer a minister and no longer attending a Church of Christ.
When I was a sophomore in college, my roommate convinced me to go on a Spring Break campaign to Long Beach, California. Randy Mayeux was the minister there. In one of our daily devotionals, he made a statement that stayed with me: “Go as far as you can go.” Admittedly, he was trying to convince some of the students to move out to Long Beach, but his point was that some would be able to go to China, others to Brazil, others to California, but each should go as far as they could.
I eventually returned to Long Beach to work with Randy for two summers. Randy taught me to love digging into the text to find truth. He also taught me about sharing the gospel with others and making evangelism a priority.
Randy was an avid reader, continually reading from a wide variety of sources. He particularly loved to read about preaching. He also studied long and hard, presenting deep, challenging sermons.
I got to see Randy last year when his mother-in-law passed away. His father-in-law attends church where I do, and Randy’s wife is frequently there with her dad. I know that the Mayeuxs went through some difficult trials in the church, and I’m sorry for what they went through. I’ll always be thankful to Randy for all the things he taught me.
I have enjoyed reading your Pass the Torch articles. I have loved the idea of paying honor and tribute to those who have influenced our Christian walk.
I notice on you first one that you mentioned the Johnson Street Church of Christ. I believe that is where my brother Tony Tharp and his wife, Pat attend.
I have added you to my website so I can come back and read your posts. We are so blessed to have available to us so many avenues of spiritual encouragement with the Internet.
Thanks Janice. Welcome to the Kitchen.
I’ll add your site to my blog roll. Always looking to better the proportion between hims and hers over there.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
I believe I heard Randy speak at Tulsa Workshop many years ago. Prolific is one word that comes to mind. Thanks for sharing your love for this brother!
Pingback: Passing the torch: This brilliant idea brought to you by John Dobbs « bobbyrossjr.com
I loved Randy and his wife so much. He was such a great preacher and wonderful person. I have not seen him in years but so much cherish all that he taught and inspired in all of us.
Your mention of Randy reminded me of notes I have filed away somewhere from a Church Growth Seminar he did in a motel in Philadelphia, PA 20+ years ago. I was a young preacher looking for answers to becoming an effective evangelist and he left me walking on air and focused on reaching the lost! I need to get those notes out of the file again!
Thank you for sharing this part of your growth!
My only encounter with Randy (and I preached at Long Beach for almost 15 years) was prior to moving to California, but just after he left Long Beach. I met him at Pepperdine through a mutual friend. Randy’s comment to me was, “Get out of the churches of Christ!” I’d never seen anyone so filled with anger. Because of my time in Long Beach, I have heard many, many stories about Randy and the way he touched so many people’s lives so deeply. And, interestingly, I no longer am preaching and no longer worship with churches of Christ. (The local coC would be a huge step backward for us, though I love the preacher here.) Strange paths our lives take at times.
There are a few people in your life that you meet and say …. WOW.. Randy was one of those… However more rare but still happens are those people that wow you then suddenly….. they WTF ??!!! you. Something happened to Randy that didn’t seem like a natural progression. It was like a switch that was suddenly thrown. Bizarreness, Stories you would hear about him that would turn you inside out. I don’t believe this was because he left the CofC (I was on the same “Spring Break campaign” Tim speaks of, and no you don’t remember me Tim) my sense it is something organic. Something that was always there, that he could no longer filter out, keep suppressed, hidden.
Randy is a lost coin. The king does not stop searching for lost coins.