The Names on the Walls | Floyd Schexnayder

An Instrument to be Used by God

Floyd L. Schexnayder was born to Floyd J. and Betty L. Schexnayder on October 29, 1952, in a little town just south of Houston, Texas. After graduating high school in 1971, Floyd married his high school sweetheart, Amy Allgood, on February 19, 1972. They would move to San Demas, California to attend Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College, where Bro. Floyd graduated with a degree in Music Ministry in 1977. Then, the young couple would move to Tucson, Arizona to serve at New Testament Baptist Church. There they faithfully served until 1982, when God called the Schexnayders to serve at Southwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

An Eye for the Details

Bro. Floyd committed himself to excellence. “Everything he did was with the utmost excellence – he was dissatisfied with anything less.” – Joe Mizer (2007 Heartland graduate and current faculty member). It is said that excellency in character and discipline is reflected in the smallest of details, even down to how a man wears his clothes. For years, Bro. Floyd would take his dress shirts to a little dry cleaner’s shop on the south side of Oklahoma City every week. As he walked into the music building each morning for class, took the platform to lead congregational singing at Southwest Baptist Church, or met with Heartland’s singing groups for practice, he could always be seen dressed in a crisp, freshly pressed shirt, his hair never out of place. In the minutest of particulars, Bro. Floyd cared about the details.

Not only did Bro. Floyd expect excellence in himself, but he also expected it in those whom he taught. One specific instance of this involves the pedals of the pianos at SWBC. Bro. Aaron Mast, who was interning at the church, had the responsibility of getting the platform ready for services each Sunday morning, which included cleaning the pianos. Unbeknownst to him, this meant that he was to dust the piano pedals along with the rest of the piano. Having taken notice of the dusty pedals, Bro. Floyd personally showed Bro. Aaron how to properly do the job. “What’s the big deal about a little dust on the pedals?” you may ask. But to Bro. Floyd, even a little dust showed a lack of excellence – and the God that he served deserved excellence in every area!

A Heart for the Ministry

It is sincerity that made the difference in Bro. Floyd’s life. He had a genuine love for God, and it showed. People recognized Bro. Floyd for his commanding presence and posture in the pulpit while leading the congregation and choir in song. But it was not all just a show – a display of bravado or charisma. There was a heart underlying it all – a heart for God. The members of Southwest Baptist Church could see it. Likewise the students of Heartland Baptist Bible College could see it. The choir could see it too. In a tear in his eye during a chorus of “He Touched Me” or during a pause that he would have to take during a moving part of “Between Me and the Storm,” Bro. Floyd believed what he was singing and because of that, he made the effort to communicate it through song.

An Impact Beyond His Years

Fifteen years ago today, while cleaning up his mother’s property after a storm, the Lord thought it fitting to use an unexpected heart attack to call Bro. Floyd home for eternity. He was fifty-six years old. His twenty-five years of impact on Southwest Baptist Church and Heartland Baptist Bible College were tremendous! But you could not have convinced Bro. Floyd that he was anything great. As he explained to the members of Southwest in one of the few sermons he preached, “[God’s] just using me as an instrument. I am just an instrument of God to be used by Him!” To honor his legacy of faithfulness, Heartland dedicated the Floyd Schexnayder Music Center on January 14, 2009. If you get the chance, take the time to visit the music center, because the memory wall tells Bro. Floyd’s story in even fuller detail. He is more than just a name written on a wall; his legacy continues today to impact countless individuals’ lives.

 

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