Stay Connected

Friends Who Want to Influence, October 2015

Bev Regina

Bev Price died at 92 and Regina Williams died at 62--both within the last two months. Both women exercised quiet, but immense, influence. Bev Price, "Mom" to me, became my mother-in-law when I married Carol, my now deceased wife. Regina Williams became my good friend on a couple's retreat with our church in 1973. Both had a significant influence on me and thousands of others.

Bev Price

Sweet 16

Born of missionary parents in China, Bev later grew up in Raleigh, NC. At sweet sixteen, she met the love of her life--Buddy Price. The rest of their lives they were inseparable. They loved Jesus and led so many others to do so. They served the Lord together as pastors for 69 years.

My son, Jonathan, summarized Bev's influence in his eulogy.

My grandmother passed from the Shadowlands into Real Life last Sunday... She practiced organic vegetarianism before it was cool, performed Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor for her senior recital, and developed post-Southern Baptist, contemplative, charismatic Catholic sensibilities when that wasn't really a thing. We shed so many tears together and grew closer in our shared losses of my Mom and Chief. She showed me what faithfulness looks like in the shadow of death. My grandparents will be remembered by me for two characteristic practices--prayer and unconditional love. Thank you, Grandma, for this simple, deep, and lasting legacy. I love you. -- Jonathan St. Clair

Two practices--prayer and unconditional love became the conduit through which Bev passed on her influence to so many.

Chief and Mom had a daily habit of taking communion in the morning, and praying the life and love of Jesus over each of their kids, grandkids and great grandkids. I got grafted into those prayers when I was 25. For 45 years those prayers never stopped.

Bev and Chief

But they didn't pray only for us, they prayed specific prayers for over a thousand people every week! The daughter of one of their best friends said to me, "You will never know the influence of the Prices on my family." Then she explained how doctors told her that her father had two months to live. Chief and Mom prayed for him, believed the Lord wanted him to live, and told him, "Go tell the doctor you are not going to die, but live!" He did. That was fifteen years ago, and today he is still alive!

Bev Price and Chief lived Psalm 145:4 lives: One generation will commend your works to another, and declare your mighty acts. Oh, that my life, my kid's and grandkid's lives would be a channel of generational blessing as the Price's have been to me and so many others.

Generations of Blessing

Regina Williams

Regina and Bill

Born into a difficult family situation, Regina met Bill Williams in the eighth grade. They never dated anyone else, married in college, and loved each other through raising three boys, Bill's career as a BellSouth executive, and three bouts with breast cancer.

Carol and I became their friends in church, and had the opportunity to come alongside them as they sought a deeper relationship with Jesus. Bill joined a discipleship group with me, and Carol discipled Regina. Later we started a church together.

Regina and Bill

Regina was "intensely intentional." Her hard home life led her brother, Bing, to drop out of high school after getting into drugs. Regina led the charge in praying for Bing. She shared Jesus with him. He responded, stopped drugs, finished school, later married Sheila, who was in our ministry, and they had four boys who all love Jesus! Then Regina led us in praying for her Mom, an alcoholic. Soon her Mom received Jesus and never touched alcohol again.

One of Regina's sons, named Barry after me, turned away from God as a teenager. Persistently she and Bill prayed for Barry. The Lord dramatically intervened in his life when he was at NC State through his Mom's influence. Barry, now married with three children, said this about his Mom:

My Mom told me on several occasions that the Lord spoke to her very clearly after I was born that there would be a battle for my heart and soul, but in the end the Lord would win out and He would use me to impact many lives. Those words, and countless others, have dramatically shaped my story and have always driven me towards the Lord. The Lord gifted my Mom with the ability to move people towards Christ.
-- Barry Williams

Regina discipled women for years like Carol discipled her. She started "Titus 2 Mentoring Women." At her funeral over one hundred women stood who had been discipled by Regina and her Titus 2 leaders.

So many trophies of God's grace through the influence of Regina--wife, sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, and mentor!

Trophies of God's Grace

You and Me

Bev and Regina, two immensely influential women, both fully alive in heaven now, cause me to ask myself "What will people say about my influence on them?" My prayer for you and me is that we will influence others the way Bev and Regina have influenced!

Thank you for your investment in Reach Out that provides us the resources to influence!

Jesus is Lord,