Dr. Tony Roach Sr., longtime Abilene preacher, author and evangelist, received the Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award at Abilene Christian University’s Commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 14.

The Outlive Your Life Award is named for its first recipients, Dale and Rita Brown, and inspired by the 2010 book by Max Lucado (’77), Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference. The award recognizes all types of servant leadership exhibited by friends or alumni of the university.

Roach, who was the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from ACU, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in social science from Hiram College before earning his Master of Science degree in biblical text from ACU in 1979. He completed his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1992 as part of the third graduating class of ACU’s first doctoral program.

He and his wife, Candyce, planted the Minda Street Church of Christ in Abilene in 1979, and Roach has been an influential voice in ACU’s racial reconciliation work in churches for more than five decades. He retired as evangelist of Minda Street in 2016 and now works to expand the reach of his God’s Love Bank program, which is used around the world. He also continues to serve as minister emeritus at Minda Street.

Roach is the author of seven large books, a 12-volume small-book series and a five-volume annual church curriculum. He and Candyce live in Irving, Texas, and have four grown children and 11 grandchildren.

— Wendy Kilmer

May 17, 2023