JUST THINKING: Worthy of Double Honor: Marvin Loyd

“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (I Tim. 5:17 NIV).

I was just thinking about another BMAA preacher whose life has impacted so many over a long and dedicated time of service for the Lord. The individual to whom I refer also served so well in the ministry of global missions.

Marvin Loyd

Marvin Loyd was born Aug. 27, 1936, in Elk City, Okla. He is the son of a couple who were farmers who grew cotton and raised cattle. During a revival at Hebron Baptist Church of Elk City, Marvin placed his trust in Jesus as Savior. His baptism took place in John Brown’s stock pond.

At the age of 17, Marvin answered God’s call to preach the gospel. After high school, Marvin enrolled in a small college in Conway. We know that school today at Central Baptist College. CBC would become very special to the young man in the years following as he became the first graduate of the college. He also met a young lady named Helen Sims while he was there. While a student, he also served as pastor of Sunnyside Baptist Church in Dewitt. He and Helen became the first couple who had met at CBC to get married. The wedding was on May 26, 1959.

Being a man of “firsts” at CBC, Marvin was CBC’s first basketball coach, first physical education instructor and first biology teacher. But God had something else in store for Marvin and Helen Loyd.

The Call to the Mission Field

In 1966, Marvin felt that God was calling him to the ministry of foreign missions. He and Helen moved to Nicaragua, where they served as self-supporting missionaries. They both taught in an English-speaking school. Marvin taught biology and Helen taught at the elementary school. Another self-support missionary/teaching couple, John and Shirley Ladd, was on furlough back to the States and the Loyds lived in their house during that time.

God was always doing a work in Marvin’s life. He opened the door for the young missionary to purchase an airplane and learn to fly. With that new ministry tool, the gospel was taken to the jungle regions along with medical ministries.

A Change of Fields but Not a Change of Heart

In 1967, Nicaragua was overtaken by Communism and all Americans were ordered out of the country. Marvin chose to continue his education, receiving a second master’s degree in biology. During that time, he had returned to the faculty at CBC.

Bolivia Missionary M.S. Arrington needed ministry support like that which Marvin had provided in Nicaragua. Marvin and Helen then moved to Bolivia, began to learn Spanish and used a Maule airplane to fly supplies into the jungles where the Arringtons were ministering.

During that time, Jurl and Mary Ann Mitchell were also elected by the BMAA to serve in Bolivia. Jurl and Marvin had been friends since college and both were quite adventurous. They were both pilots and made quite a team in Bolivia. In his book, En La Manana (In the Moring) Jurl chronicled their trips along the rivers in search of tribes to which they could carry the gospel. At one point they had gotten so far removed from civilization, were terribly hungry and, with both feeling despair, they agreed that if one died the other would bury him there and trudge on to get back to their families.

Family Ties

God blessed Marvin and Helen with a son, Randy Dean, in 1959. Their first daughter, Jill Ann, was born in 1961. In 1971, a second daughter, Stella Lynette, was born. These were also missionaries at very young ages. However, there were no adequate schools among the Chiquitano villages of the Amazon. As a result, the children were educated in a boarding school in Tambo, that was operated by the New Tribe Missions.

After a furlough, the Loyds would return to Bolivia, but with another couple — Jerry and Sue Kidd. This time, their base of operations would be the village of San Simon. Reaching the lost in Bolivia was always a challenge. Mechanical breakdowns of their old, World War II era Willys Jeep brought much frustration but, when it was working, the ministry kept going.

Farewell Bolivia — Hello Guatemala

In 1986, knowing the airplane support ministry was in good hands with new missionaries Larry and Susie Hendren, Marvin and Helen said farewell to the country they had lived in with a great love for the souls of the Bolivian people. In the years following, Marvin would return for short mission trips to Bolivia, but God had a new field of endeavor for him.

In 1988, Marvin would team up with another BMAA missionary, Bill Sheffield and his wife, Carolyn. This time, it would be in the Central American country of Guatemala. Marvin and Helen served there until his retirement in 1993. However, God had something else for the well experienced missionary. He was named Director of Missions for Guatemala.

Retired, But

Still Serving

After returning to the States, Marvin served several churches as pastor and preached in many others. I have known this dedicated servant of the Lord since I was a freshman at CBC in 1964. He was first my professor, but since has been my dear friend. I have flown with him, worked with him briefly in Guatemala and made trips to Mexico with him. He is as steady as they come… because his Rock is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He has taught and mentored approximately 20 pastors/national missionaries, preached thousands of sermons and led countless people to Christ and baptized them. By the way, Marvin and Helen Loyd celebrated their 67^th wedding anniversary on May 26, 2023.

Indeed, Marvin Loyd is a minister worthy of double honor.