Keith Loy's Story

It really is God’s story — I just have the
privilege of being involved.

The Hope and Holiness Trust
is Sharing Hope with the Hopeless

Keith could see that the woman was oblivious to the 3000 other people in the room as she rushed up to him, sobbing uncontrollably. “Thank you, Pastor,” she said again and again. “Thank you! You’ve changed my life!”

Keith knew it wasn’t really him she was thanking.

He had merely spoken the words; God had captivated her heart. What Keith didn’t know, as he prayed for her and encouraged her, was that she had recently left her husband. Melissa was attending the church service that morning reluctantly, at the invitation of a friend. His sermon just happened to be on marriage and was perfectly designed for her.

The Holy Spirit took ahold of Melissa. Making a complete turnaround, she returned to her husband…and to the Lord. A few months later, the couple recommitted their marriage vows before the church as Melissa’s husband presented her with a new wedding ring. And, this time,
the 3000 other people in the room were sobbing, too, as they witnessed the beauty and power of God’s work in Melissa’s life.

Perhaps those who are most deeply involved in the work of creating a legacy are the least likely to realize they are doing it. When asked how it feels to see God’s story in his legacy, Keith Loy, of Celebrate Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sounded surprised. “A legacy?” And then he got choked up. “It’s humbling to think of it that way. I’m just doing the work God allows me to do. It really is God’s story; I just have the privilege of being involved.”

Easy words to say, but Keith isn’t about just words. His church is about helping real people form a real relationship with God, and it’s working. Thousands of people are making decisions for Christ through its ministries. Keith says, “Our DNA is simply loving people—no strings attached.” Many of the things they do to serve their community, things like serving a steak dinner to construction workers, are done without ever mentioning which church they’re from or even that they’re Christians.

Still, people are coming. New people show up every week, often those who have been invited by family members and friends. “The best evangelists are those who have recently come to know Christ,” Keith says, “people like Melissa. Those around her see that something has changed in her life, and they want what she has.”

Perhaps that explains why Keith himself is playing a critical role in the lives of so many people. Keith fell in love with Christ at youth camp as a 12-year-old kid. A counselor nicknamed Hawkeye took special notice of Keith. He led Keith through a simple prayer that changed Keith’s life forever. In time, Keith accepted the call to ministry. After seminary, he and his wife, Kay, moved to Sioux Falls to plant a church. One hundred attendees from another Wesleyan church came to help with the launch of Celebrate.

“Seventy-five went back,” Loy reports. “But twenty-five stayed.” From that nucleus, the church has grown to have a mega impact on its community.

Over the years, Keith often wished he could express his appreciation to Hawkeye, but he didn’t even know the guy’s first name. “I just wanted him to know that if he hadn’t invested in me, Celebrate Church would never have been formed,” Keith says. “Hawkeye doesn’t even know what a legacy he left by giving up a summer to hang out with some scrawny 12-year-old.”

The one-time camp counselor will know soon. Keith has been able to track down Steve “Hawkeye” Heart and invite him to join them at Celebrate Church. “I want him, and everyone else, to realize that everything we do by the hand of God has eternal significance. God moves in ways we never dream possible.” Not everyone gets to see God’s story in our legacy, as Hawkeye gets to, but all who are involved in God’s work are making a lasting difference.