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funds, little by little the
money and services came in, until he had the van and
everything he needed to begin ministry.
"All of this just fell in place,
and I just knew it was the Lord, " he says.
For almost four years, Loyal
has been "retired and refired," he says, thrusting himself
headlong into an inner-city children's ministry that is
thriving today. Hundreds of street kids come to play games,
get treats, have fun and - most importantly - experience a
move of God in their lives. Loyal ministers in 18 to 20
Atlanta suburbs, including his hometown of Athens, Georgia.
Through his Faith Today
Ministries, Loyal adds hands and feet to the gospel message,
making regular visits to build relationships with kids and
their parents.
"We want to establish that we
are not a one-night stand," he says. "We are going to be a
force."
Loyal says it takes six to
eight people to promote, set up and conduct the two hour
ministry sessions that often have parents and kids alike
giving a standing ovation. Loyal targets lower-class
neighborhoods where children either don't attend church or
attend only services geared to adults. His aim is to speak to
kids on their own level.
"We present the gospel in a
high-energy, high-activity manner." he says, adding that the
kids' ages range from about 3 to 16.
Loyal and his ministry team
are in a needy neighborhood just about every weekend of the
year. Typically, they post fliers and give away hot dogs and
candy to attract a crowd. Then they amuse the kids with
various high-energy activities that include playing games of
Bible Trivia, interacting with a Sponge Bob character
who tells them how their minds soak things up like a sponge,
listening to popular secular songs with Christian lyrics, and
other activities that instruct children in the ways of God.
Loyal believes if his team
can build a basic moral foundation in children, the inner
witness of the Holy Spirit can do the rest. "We're trying to
get kids to understand that there is a God and there is a
right and there is a wrong," he says.
The fact that most of the
neighborhoods Loyal visits are in economically depressed areas
does not deter him. "I've been in projects passing out fliers,
and there'll be a guy in the breezeway selling drugs," he
says.
Some of the kids he's worked
with have actually joined his ministry team. One teenage boy,
Shamar, was running with the wrong crowd when God touched him
at one of Loyal's ministry events. God moved, and soon after
that Shamar was running the sound equipment for Loyal. Now
he's a regular team member.
"If I tell him I'll pick him
up at 7:30 in the morning, he's ready, and that's saying a lot
for a 14-year-old," Loyal says. "Wherever I go, he goes. He's
there to help me."
Mentoring boys and young men
who have no father figures is a key part of Loyal's ministry.
"I firmly believe it takes men to raise boys," he says. "They
need inspiration from the men."
Loyal says that out of 15
kids in a group it is likely that only two or three of them
have both parents. "Some of them say, 'I don't even know my
dad,'" he explains. "I can relate to these kids. I didn't have
very much growing up, so I understand what it's like."
Loyal's parents separated
when he was 13. His father didn't return home until four years
later - crucial years when a teen needs a dad, Loyal says.
But his father embraced Jesus
at the age of 79. "He was 80 years old before I ever heard him
say, Son, I love you,'" Loyal remembers. "It touched me, and
it touched him, too."
Loyal is always looking for
dedicated volunteers, people who will get involved for more
than just one or two trips. But Loyal believes many U.S.
Christians simply are complacent.
"It is hard to get people out
of the four walls. God wants us to go out there and be the
church, not just be a spectator on Sunday morning," he says.
Community leaders have seen
the impact of Loyal's work. Local businessman Dwain Chambers,
a former mayor of Athens, has known Loyal for 2 years. "Joe is
genuine," Chambers told Charisma. "He loves the Lord
with all of his heart, and he is committed to doing the Lord's
work."
Chambers saw Loyal's inner
character come to the surface during the time he lost his son.
"He never questioned God," recalls Chambers, who also says
he's impressed by Loyal's low profile. "He does not seek
recognition. He does his work quietly, and he wants all the
glory to go to God."
In addition to his children's
ministry, Loyal hosts five radio broadcasts a week and visits
four or five prisons a month. He also makes regular visits to
day-care centers. His ministry addresses issues faced by the
poor and transcends ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Loyal says when he was
beginning the ministry, his wife, Shirley, wasn't sure he
could raise the money and develop the organization needed for
a successful program. Now, she's an integral part of the team
with him every weekend.
Loyal operates his ministry
on a tight budget, but he continues to not solicit funds,
receiving only what others give after God moves on their
hearts.
Though Loyal is happy with
the size of his ministry, he knows he could have a bigger
impact with more volunteers. "I'd like to be able to duplicate
myself," he says. "I'd like to find people that will take a
step of faith and move into the area of street ministry."
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