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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The Names on the Walls | Kevin O’Brien

Faithful in Ministry

Kevin O’Brien was born in El Paso, TX on October 31, 1955. A little over fifty-two years later, God called him home. In that period, Bro. Kevin’s faithful commitment to the Lord and ministry made an impact so incredible in the lives of people that only Heaven is fully aware of it to this day.

Early Years

Kevin was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. There his parents, Claude and Angie O’Brien, and their family were faithful members of Hillcrest Baptist Church, which was planted and pastored by Bro. Bob Stewart.  After graduating from Irvin High School (where he met his future wife Darlene Turbeville), Bro. Kevin would go on to get his three-year Bachelor of Theology from Baptist Bible College. Before graduating in 1977, however, he and Darlene were married on June 12, 1976.

Bethany Baptist Church

Soon after graduating, Bro. Kevin and his new bride moved to Lubbock, TX to join the staff of Bethany Baptist Church under Pastor Ross Spencer as the music and youth director in 1997. Here he would serve for the rest of his life, becoming assistant pastor, co-pastor, then pastor in 1996. Bro. Kevin O’Brien sincerely loved the bus ministry and faith promise giving, and he encouraged both at Bethany Baptist. His love for preaching to youth led to countless young people coming to Christ and surrendering to the ministry! Bro. Kevin was also an accomplished pianist, piano technician, and singer and he used all three gifts willingly for the Lord.

Heartland Baptist Bible College

It was in 1996 that Bro. Kevin first became acquainted with Pacific Coast Baptist College of San Demas, California. Recognizing the importance of solid Bible college education, he wholeheartedly threw his support behind the school and became a director that year. As God led men like Sam Davison and others to move the school to Oklahoma City and rename it Heartland Baptist Bible College, Bro. Kevin enthusiastically supported it. At Heartland, he would serve on the Executive Committee and was the Secretary to the Board of Directors until the final days of his life.

Faithful in the Face of Trials

Bro. Kevin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006. By God’s grace, he endured over a year-long, grueling battle, at one point having to undergo chemo every three to four weeks. Yet through all the darkness, Bro. Kevin never gave up on the Lord! While preaching for Heartland’s Opening Days Conference in 2007, Bro. Kevin referenced Isaiah 45.

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3)

Most assuredly, Bro. Kevin discovered many of the treasures of darkness. When faced with a trial that would cause many a faithful Christian to waver, Bro. Kevin refused to do so. Instead, he encouraged the students that morning, “God is so good… He never leaves you, never forsakes you!”

Bro. Kevin kept his plow in the ground, faithfully serving the Lord until his last days. In honor of his faithful service and leadership, Heartland Baptist Bible College dedicated the Kevin O’Brien Memorial Conference Room on January 14th, 2009. May God raise up more faithful men and women of God, who, like Bro. Kevin O’Brien will keep the plow in the ground despite the dark trials through which they must follow the Lord.

 

Click here to see more photos and video of Bro. Kevin O’Brien!

You Want Me To Go… There?!

You Want Me To Go Where?!

When I was a kid, we used to have Bible college students spend every weekend with us. They would help out in the church, sing specials, teach classes and do whatever needed to be done.

I remember watching Muppet Treasure Island with them almost every Friday night when they would come into town and stay at our house. I loved having them around.

They all seemed so godly—and so fun!

I made up my mind as a young boy that their college was going to be my college.

Then, a couple years later, the college moved. No more Bible college kids on the weekends. No more Muppet Treasure Island. Bummer.

I loved my area of Southern California. It was all I knew. It was comfortable. The weather was great! I did not want to lose all that just for college.

But… I also remember the impact those college students had on me. Their spirit was contagious. Their attitudes were always happy. They served. They loved God. They simply wanted to be a blessing in any way that they could, and I liked that.

I wanted my life to be like that.

So, I figured if that’s how I wanted to turn out, I had better go through the same process. I decided that my decision as a young boy would stand. I would still go to that college, even though it was now in another state.

“God, are you sure you want me to go… there?!”

Yep. No doubt.

So I packed up after high school and went. I did not know anyone and I did not know what I was doing, but I knew that God’s calling on my life as a boy still stood.

No Regrets

Now I am on the other side. I graduated college and I am now a youth director encouraging others to spend at least a year in Bible college.

I have no regrets. The state I lived in for a few years wasn’t so bad after all. God gives a special love for the places He calls you to, and as long as you are obedient to Him, life is good, no matter the circumstances.

I Want It For Everyone

My life has been great, and I want God to bless everyone like He has blessed me! If you want God’s blessings, all I can say is this: obey God. He will make your life more full than you can even imagine!

Is Bible college for everyone? No way!

There were times I thought, “This is terrible… I’m sick of this… This is not what I was expecting… What about all the fun stories everyone else has… It’s a lot of work!” At those times, though, I never even considered leaving because I knew I was where God wanted me to be. I was in a blessed place in life, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

Don’t Refuse What You’ve Never Really Considered.

Is Bible college for you? I don’t know. Maybe. Don’t rule it out. Don’t ignore Bible college just because someone you know doesn’t like the idea. Don’t refuse what you’ve never really considered.

Bible college is definitely not for everyone, but it might be for you. Too many people ignore or disobey God’s call. I daresay He calls many people who never answer His call. I don’t want that to be you.

The next few chapters will give some benefits, some objections and some general principles on why Bible college is something that you might consider.

Ryan Rench, Calvary Baptist Church of Temecula, CA