Dr. Joe Boyd

Dr. Joe M. Boyd was a local church evangelist with a ministry that spanned 65 years!

His ministry focused on getting sinners saved and baptized, the saved busy for God, and churches focused on souls. His passion was revival. He would rather preach a revival in a small church than preach a big-name conference. 

The following are messages preached by Dr. Boyd in revival meetings. They will stir your heart and challenge you in your walk with God and your work for God. 

Dr. Joe Boyd was born on May 5, 1917 in Jacksonville Texas. Though he was a preacher’s son, he drifted away from God and focused his life on sports. He attended Texas A & M and was an All-American tackle on the 1939 National Championship Team. He was the first draft pick of the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL draft. He was also heavy weight boxing and wrestling champion. He would enter a business life, rather than professional football. He became the assistant chief accountant of the Todd Shipyards of Galveston, Texas. It was there that God got the attention of Dr. Boyd and he surrendered to preach the Gospel. He began a long ministry of revival that literally spanned the globe. He preached more than 3,000 local church revival meetings, started three churches, a preacher training school (B.E.S.T. Baptist Evangelistic Schools of Texas), a Christian camp (Mt. Salem Revival Grounds), and trained hundreds of “preacher-boys.”

Dr. Boyd, or "Brother Joe," as he is know to many, was my mentor and has been my hero since I the first time I met him in July of 1971 under a big tent set up at my home church, Troy Baptist Temple, in Troy, Ohio. Many people were saved that week. Many were baptized. Saints were encouraged and backsliders were reclaimed. Dr. Boyd took time to meet personally with my father, Carl Brandenburg, who was just getting starting in evangelism, to give him advice and help on the ministry of an evangelist. Our church was changed that week, my father's ministry as an evangelist was helped, and my life was forever altered. To me, Dr. Boyd was a real, live, hero! I remember him in his white three-piece suit and white patent leather shoes as he preached under the tent. I don't remember his message, as I was only 10 years old, but I do remember the man! I remember his passion. I remember that he pounded the pulpit and then as he picked up the pulpit and pounded on the platform with the pulpit! I remember leaning over to my dad and saying, "He's mad!" And he was! He was mad at the devil. He was mad at sin! From that moment on, Dr. Joe Boyd was, and is, the model of an evangelist for me. 

As I grew older and grew in the faith I began serving the Lord. God began to stir in my heart as I worked with my dad in his Kid's Krusades (children's revivals/VBS). At the age of 14 I surrendered to preach the Gospel. I began preaching on my bus route while in high school, as well as during youth rallies. I was invited to preach my first revival meeting when I was 16.

During my first year in college I was invited to attend the "Joe Boyd Banquet" at Hyles-Anderson College. During that meeting I was introduced to the Joe Boyd Summer Seminars of Evangelism. These seminars provided an opportunity for young preachers to "go on the road" with Dr. Boyd and participate in his revival meetings. Every morning Dr. Boyd would teach us in the areas of ministry, evangelistic meetings, and soulwinning. Every afternoon we would go soulwinning. We then would get the church vans and buses and pick-up our converts and bring them to church. We would participate in the services. Some of us would conduct the children's meeting, others would conduct the teen services. We were learning, first hand, how to be an evangelist. We sat at the feet of a man who was totally committed to Christ and was passionate about winning sinners to Christ and helping local churches. I learned more by watching this man preach, pray and prepare (study) during that summer than all the classroom time of the rest of my ministry training at college. This was raw. This was focused. This was practical. This was REAL!

In 1980, as newlyweds, my wife and I would have the privilege of living at the Camp and working for Dr. Boyd. Many years later we would return to the camp with our children. I was serving as an evangelist out of the camp and Rhonda worked as a secretary for Dr. Boyd. My children grew up around Dr. & Mrs. Boyd. They both became heroes to my children!

My view of the ministry, and the Christian life, was changed because of the influence of this sincere man of God. From him I learned to have a passion for souls, to organize my soulwinning, follow-up, and discipleship, to be detailed in my ministry planning, to be sincere in my prayer life, and to attempt big things for God. Truly, he was a giant for God. I miss him!