A conversation between Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, executive director of ABHMS and Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, former general secretary of ABCUSA
Dr. Jeffrey Haggray interviews Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley. Photo courtesy of ABHMS.
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela
Editor’s note: Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, general secretary emeritus of American Baptist Churches USA, is the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Edwin T. Dahlberg Peace and Justice Award. The award will be presented on July 4 during the ABCUSA Biennial Mission Summit in Omaha, Nebraska. This interview was conducted with Dr. Medley on May 8, 2025 at ABHMS' Leadership and Mission Building in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and has been lightly edited for clarity.
Jeff:
Tell me how you got started in ministry.
Roy:
Reluctantly. I didn’t want to be a pastor. I told God, “I’ll be a great layperson. I’ll serve you. But please don’t call me to preach.” But God’s will is what it is.
Eventually, I found myself attending Princeton [Theological Seminary]. That’s where I was introduced to the American Baptist Churches. I had a fieldwork requirement and ended up at First Baptist Church in New Haven. I interviewed there, was accepted, and that’s how it all started. I got the bug.
Jeff:
That’s also where your affiliation with the American Baptist Churches began?
Roy:
Exactly. The path of life led me there. The seminary experience and that church both played major roles. First Baptist New Haven was such a formative place for me. I had great mentors: Bob Roberts, Reginald Eklund, and others who deeply influenced me.
Jeff:
Where did your journey take you after Princeton?
Roy:
I took a year off and studied at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. That year really shaped me. The environment exposed me to a wide range of political and theological thought, including Marxist critiques and liberation theology. I didn’t realize how much those perspectives would impact my ministry later on.
I often tell younger people: your calling can feel like staring into a dense cornfield; you don’t see a way through. But once you walk through it and look back, the path becomes clear. That’s how ministry has been for me. Looking back, I see how God wove the pieces together.
Jeff:
That’s beautifully said.
Roy:
Thank you. That time in Geneva really expanded my view of the global church and helped me see the church’s prophetic role in the world. When I returned to the States, I was called back to serve as associate pastor at First Baptist New Haven. It was a blessing to be called to the same church I had served during seminary.
Jeff:
Your first call was to a church that really loved and shaped you.
Roy:
Yes, they looked beyond my faults and saw potential. I’ll never forget my second week there. I preached, and afterward, a woman came up to me and said, “I don’t know what you said, but I sure liked the way you said it.” That meant something.
Jeff:
[Laughs] That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing that part of your journey. It gives a fuller picture of your call, especially how it’s grounded in authenticity and deep listening. And your work, especially in interfaith dialogue, really reflects that.
Roy:
Yes. Princeton was also great in that regard. It had a diverse student body, including international students. Coming from Ringgold, Georgia, that was my first real experience of religious and cultural diversity. And then being in Geneva gave me a stronger sense of the global church and the importance of ecumenical witness.
Find people in your life who love you enough to tell you the truth. And stay grounded in your faith. That’s your North Star. There will be so many things pulling at you, but if you stay rooted in your calling, even in the hard times, you’ll make it through.
Jeff:
And from that foundation, you went on to serve as Executive Minister for ABC of New Jersey?
Roy:
That came a bit later. After several years at First Baptist, I joined the staff of what was then called National Ministries. I worked under the Civil Rights leader Nellie Miller. She’s someone I wish we honored more in our history.
She served as associate general secretary for public witness. She had been badly beaten during a Freedom Ride in Augusta, Georgia. Her life was in danger, but she never wavered in her commitment to civil rights, women’s rights, and peace. She was both an activist and a woman of deep faith. I succeeded her in terms of working with local churches and community engagement.
At that time, American Baptists were also very engaged in addressing world hunger and poverty in the United States, and I was given the domestic portfolio. It was challenging and meaningful work. Eventually, with our first son on the way, I needed to be home more, so I returned to New Jersey. That’s when I was called to serve as executive minister.
Jeff:
And just for context, National Ministries was the name used then for what is now ABHMS.
Roy:
Yes, exactly. Back then we’d say, “National Ministries,” and people would know what that meant. I still have flashbacks to those days. Staff meetings, old planning folders… and probably some Oreos!
Jeff:
After your years in New Jersey, you were called to serve as General Secretary of ABCUSA. What was that transition like?
Roy:
It was both exciting and difficult. Having served in local, regional, and national roles, I knew the challenges that lay ahead, especially the growing tensions in the denomination.
New Jersey was a great training ground. The diversity there wasn’t just Black and white; it included Latino and Asian communities, too. That context helped prepare me for the complexity of leading a national body.
But I always tried to stay grounded in the local church. When you serve at the national level, it’s easy to get caught up in institutional matters: policies, board meetings, all of that. But the ministry is with the people. I tried to keep my finger on that pulse and bring that perspective into my work as General Secretary.
Jeff:
And you did that beautifully. That’s what so many of us appreciated during your tenure. One last question: what would you say to a new generation of staff — people trying to stay grounded, close to the people, and faithful in their service?
Roy:
I’d say: give yourself grace. You won’t get it right every time. That doesn’t mean you don’t belong. The fact that you care enough to try means a lot.
Find people in your life who love you enough to tell you the truth. And stay grounded in your faith. That’s your North Star. There will be so many things pulling at you, but if you stay rooted in your calling, even in the hard times, you’ll make it through.
Jeff:
Amen. That’s good. Thank you, my friend.
Roy:
Love you, brother.
Jeff:
Love you too.
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is senior writer at American Baptist Home Mission Societies and assistant editor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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