Living Water Church | Pastor Roy & Denise Andrews
Roy and Denise Andrews came to Living Water Church in Dodge Center, MN, in 2016, but it wasn’t a straight path. They had been ministering in Arizona for ten years when they received an email from a church in Waseca, MN, asking if they would be willing to come help in a church in Elysian, MN. They accepted the call and moved to Elysian. After about five years, Roy felt the Lord say, “you are going to be the next pastor in Dodge Center.” A couple of months later, they learned about a pastoral position open in Dodge Center. Roy, Denise, and their family have been ministering faithfully to the congregation and community of Dodge Center now for seven years.
The Andrews have experienced challenges in establishing a permanent location for their church, but through it all, they continue seeing God’s hand in it. Around eight years ago, Roy prayed, “Holy Spirit, put me on a limb where I have to trust you at all times.” He is honoring that prayer. After six years renting space in a school, they were faced with one month to find an alternative location. After prayer with local pastors, an opportunity surfaced to share a tent facility constructed on some land that Living Water Church owns.
While working towards a new building fund, Roy wanted to continue to invest in the Kingdom in other ways. A giving opportunity presented itself to fund digging wells for clean water with an AG Pastor in Africa. After speaking with this pastor, it was clear that the $10k ready to be invested could be stretched further and used to plant a church in Africa as well. Roy presented the opportunity to the church, and it was well received, “and to top that off,” Roy shared, “we were able to give an extra $4k.”
Most recently, Roy and Living Water Church were offered a venue to hold their weekly services by a local Baptist church. It was just the solution they needed, at the perfect time. Roy recalls God’s faithfulness in the process as they were approaching winter. Through connections built “under the tent,” Roy surrounds himself with likeminded Pastors who consistently come through in praying, and in encouraging each other. He believes challenges allow the body of Christ to do what they need to do.
While the ministry ride has been challenging and tiring at times, it has not been without reward. Roy and his family continue to pray for the right building, and God has been faithful through it all. He encourages other pastors to stay the course. Iron sharpens iron, surround yourself with other pastors for encouragement, refinement, and support. Walk in your gifting. “You may not have many, but you have that one gifting to walk out. Walk in that one and be faithful to that, and it will be great.”
