Dr. Don & Elizabeth Roy
We’re privileged to serve as BCMW missionaries to Madagascar and to experience the enthusiasm that believers in that area have for the ministry of personal soul-care.
In the past few years, we’ve been able to teach the entire Church Leadership Training (CLT) course in churches in the Netherlands, France, Germany and to help start a CLT in Italy. We’re now in the process of a major shift – away from Europe, where BCMW now has other wonderful country coordinators – and to Madagascar.
Prayer Requests:
- That the Lord would bless our teaching time in such as way that the church in Madagascar is strengthened.
- That God would make known to us where he would have us teach in the days ahead.
Don’s Story
I grew up very religious and looked to my good works as the way to heaven. At the end of my junior year of college in 1977, I was experiencing an emptiness in my life. Though I had accomplished almost everything I wanted to through high school and college, each achievement failed to be the fulfillment I had come to expect. Right at that time, God saved my father who, in turn, asked if I would read some books he wanted to send to me. I read the books, was captivated by the descriptions of a relationship with Jesus and immediately prayed the sinner’s prayer at the back of the book. Through a 30 year Navy career, 4 years working at a local consulting company, and raising 10 children, God was gracious as both my wife and I learned and grew spiritually over the years.
Like my wife, I started counseling as a ministry and was certified by ACBC in 2006. I left my job at the end of 2011 to pursue a D.Min. in Biblical Counseling and began teaching Biblical Counseling in churches and prisons in my area. Working with BCMW was a natural fit since counseling and teaching Biblical Counseling has become a passion and one way in which I can serve God’s people.
I started serving with BCMW in May of 2014 when we accompanied Wayne and Susie on a survey trip to the Netherlands, followed by an observation trip to Word of Life Hungary. Since then, I have taught with Wayne and others in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. I have also assumed the roles of BCMW Director of Western Europe and Missions Administrator. We are blessed to see what God is doing in Western Europe as opportunities to bring Biblical Counseling training to the church in Europe continue to grow. Our new opportunity to serve Madagascar is equally exciting, as God continues to spread the ministry of Biblical Soul Care worldwide.
Elizabeth’s Story
Having grown up in a non-Christian home that was full of strife, I moved out on my own while still young. I found a job to provide for myself and pay for college. At age 22, while working as a bank teller, one of my co-workers witnessed to me frequently and invited me to church. At one point, I agreed to attend just to get him to stop bothering me. While at the service, the preacher spoke about having a personal relationship with Jesus, which was an entirely new concept to me. I went home and asked God that, if this was true, to show Himself to me. That night, I was convicted of my sins and wanted nothing more than to know more about Jesus. A week later, I met Don. We married about a year later and have enjoyed growing in our relationship with God and serving Him together. I became interested in biblical counseling because it is really about applying Scripture to our lives in very practical ways. I love to share the glorious Good News with people and biblical counseling is a special part of that.
My first ministry has always been to my husband and my family.We were married in 1979 and I homeschooled all ten of our children – and am still homeschooling the youngest one. Throughout the years, women would often come to me for counsel, so I sought training and was certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) in 2005. Since then, I have counseled both formally and informally as occasions arise and serve as a support to my husband as we frequently minister together.