JACKSON, Tenn. — May 2, 2017 — I got the word from my dad last week. Bro. Ray had entered into his heavenly rest, had gone to be with the Jesus to whom he had introduced so many. My dad had the privilege of sitting with him during part of his stay in the hospital, and he was glad to do it because of how much Bro. Ray has meant to our family.
I am very grateful to have been a recipient of Ray Newcomb鈥檚 ministry. As I鈥檝e visited various churches around West Tennessee over the last 30 years, I have been proud to say that I came from First Baptist Church in Millington and was one of Bro. Ray鈥檚 boys. As I consider what I received from Bro. Ray, I am particularly grateful for several things.
First, I received a bedrock certainty in the absolute truthfulness of God鈥檚 word. My family showed up at FBC Millington believing this truth, and then Bro. Ray hammered this point home. He told us the Bible was inerrant, showed us how it proved true and then preached and lived like it was true.
Second, I learned the absolute necessity of evangelism. Bro. Ray faithfully stressed that all people are lost and under the judgement of God apart from Jesus and that our responsibility is to share the gospel with them. Thus, I grew up knowing clearly that we are sinful and that God is willing to save. These are basic truths that too many people today do not realize. In this sort of ministry we teenagers were taught how to share the gospel and were given regular opportunities to do so. I am so grateful for being taken as a group to various subdivisions and being dropped off at one end of the street to go door to door endeavoring to share the gospel. There is no better way to learn.
I am grateful to have heard the saving message of the gospel on a regular basis. Years later I met a friend who grew up in another church nearby. He shared how although he grew up in the church and attended regularly, he had never heard the gospel until he went to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting at his high school one day. Thankfully, he did hear the gospel, and he was converted. I remember how shocked I was to hear his story, and how grateful I was that the gospel had been the center of the preaching I had heard.
Third, Bro. Ray preached through the Bible. Once while I was serving at a church during college the visiting preacher for our revival said he was going to preach on the unpardonable sin. Then he looked at me and a fellow college student and said, 鈥淚 bet you鈥檝e never heard anyone preach on that before, have you?鈥� I felt bad for him to have to say, 鈥淵es, sir, I have and I remember the sermon well.鈥� Others would say, 鈥淲hen was the last time you heard a sermon on hell?鈥� Quite recently. Bro. Ray hit all these points. I had received a rare introduction to the Bible by sitting under his preaching three times a week.
Lastly, Bro. Ray loved people. That, of course, is why he spent so much time on Navy Road talking to whomever he could to share the gospel with them. It is also why he called my mom, my dad or my grandmother at various times to check on them. It is why he took the time to have dinner with us the last time my parents, brother and our families all gathered at Pickwick, and why he lingered around the table to talk to and share wisdom with two of us who鈥檇 surrendered to ministry under him.
I remember him telling us about an early turning point in dealing with criticism. Rather than taking offense when people shared their dissatisfactions, he began taking out a pad of paper and asking them in all genuineness to tell him everything they thought he was doing wrong. He would not interrupt or defend himself. Once they were finished he would say, 鈥淭hank you for sharing these with me. I will work on them. Will you pray with me now and pray for me to improve in these areas?鈥� He said this made all the difference, and I can imagine it did.
No man and no ministry is perfect. Bro. Ray would be the first to say that. But I am deeply grateful I had the privilege of growing up under the ministry of Ray Newcomb. I count myself among the many who were richly blessed by God through him.
Ray Van Neste is professor of biblical studies and director of the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at 51社区. Ray Newcomb was a longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Millington, Tennessee, and a former Union trustee.