"The highest service that [one] may attain to on earth is to preach the Word of God." This quote from John Wycliff expresses Roy
Bell's response to his call to ministry. Roy loved to preach, and always had a passion for proclaiming the gospel. In his retirement
speech at Annual Conference in 1984, he stated, "I have never coveted any title other than that of preacher in The United
Methodist Church." Roy was well-known throughout the conference as a great preacher and storyteller. This writer's fi rst encounter
with Roy Bell was when Roy was preaching a revival at Central UMC, Spencer. He succeeded in keeping the attention of an eightyear-
Sold boy with his stories and his humor, which was no small feat. One story that Roy liked to tell about that revival was that
one night, as he fi nished his sermon, the time came for the altar call. The call he issued that night was for all those who wanted
their pastor reappointed for the coming year to come forward and shake his hand! (Roy later confessed to me that altar calls never
were his strength.)
Roy Bell's sense of humor endeared him to his congregations, and has left a legacy of countless stories for his family and
friends. While he was pastor at Sylva, the "Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone" series was popular on television. The star was Fess Parker and the series was
produced by Walt Disney. It seems that some of the shows were fi lmed in western North Carolina in the Sylva area. One Sunday following the worship service, as
Roy was shaking hands with the congregation, a man came up to him and said, "Hello, my name is Fess Parker." Roy did not believe him, so he responded, "Oh,
yeah? If you're Fess Parker, then I'm Walt Disney." Then, the next person in line walked up to Roy with a big grin on his face and said, "Hello, I'm Walt Disney!"
Roy Edison Bell was born on May 17, 1919, in Erlanger (now part of Lexington) to the late William Edward and Elvey Odessa Guin Bell, and was their last
surviving child from a family of 11. He was educated in the Lexington city schools and attended First Lutheran Church. Following his graduation from high school,
Roy attended Lenoir-Rhyne College, where he played basketball and met the love of his life, Caroline Virginia Crowell. They were married on Nov. 29, 1939.
Following their marriage, they transferred to Catawba College and lived with Caroline's parents in Spencer. It was during that time that Roy fi rst attended Central
Methodist Church in Spencer, where he was greatly infl uenced by the Rev. Frank B. Jordan, who was pastor at Central at that time. Frank was instrumental in
Roy receiving his license to preach at Central on May 22, 1941 and on his deciding to enroll at Duke Divinity School upon his graduation from Catawba in 1941
with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Roy then received his Bachelor of Divinity Degree from Duke Divinity School in 1944. Roy Bell joined the Western North Carolina
Annual Conference on trial in 1943, and was admitted into full connection in 1945. He was ordained a deacon in 1944 and an elder in 1945.
Roy was fi rst appointed to China Grove on Aug. 17, 1943, to fi nish the year for L. R. Akers, Jr., who entered the U.S. Army as a chaplain. Roy liked to tell the
story that his next appointment was to two trees on a vacant lot on Selwyn Ave. in Charlotte. Under his leadership that lot became Mouzon United Methodist
Church. As the founding pastor of that fl edgling congregation in 1943, Roy charted on a map what he thought would be the primary area for members for this
new congregation, then dutifully went through the neighborhoods near the lot, visiting the people and inviting them to become part of the new church. All went
smoothly until Roy knocked on the door at 2020 Roswell Ave., and none other than Bishop Purcell answered the door. After stammering his way through an
explanation of what he was doing in the neighborhood, Roy returned home and re-drew his territory on the map, moving the boundaries several blocks south to
exclude the Bishop's residence! Roy's appointments included: 1943, China Grove; 1943-47, Charlotte: Mouzon; 1947-53, Kernersville: Main St.; 1953-57, Sylva;
1957-61, North Wilkesboro: First; 1961-65, Concord: Central; 1965-69, Reidsville: Main St.; 1969-72, Mooresville: Central; 1972-76, Winston-Salem: Mount
Tabor; 1976-79, Cornelius: Mount Zion; 1979-80, Newton: Abernethy Memorial; 1980-84, Hudson-Mount Hermon. In 1984, Roy and Caroline retired to her
hometown of Spencer, where Roy continued to serve as pastor of Spencer: Yadkin from 1984 until Feb. 1, 1988. In retirement, Roy and Caroline were active at
Central United Methodist Church in Spencer, the church where he had fi rst taken the steps toward ordained ministry. This writer subsequently served as pastor
of this congregation and quickly developed a deep appreciation for Roy Bell as a mentor, confi dant, and friend. Roy was named Pastor Emeritus by Mouzon in
1993 as that congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary, and by Central UMC, Spencer on Jan. 19, 1997 in appreciation for his participation and leadership in
that congregation during his retirement as part of that congregation's centennial celebration.
Roy Bell served in many positions of leadership at the district and conference levels. In 1967 he was one of 25 preachers selected by The Methodist Church
to travel to England and preach for six weeks. He served on the Conference Committee on Resolutions 1952-54, the Conference Board of Education 1954-60,
the Conference Board of Missions 1957-68, and the Conference Board of Evangelism 1961-64. On various occasions he served at District Director of Missions,
District Director of Evangelism, and District Director of Stewardship, in addition to serving on the District Committee on Ministerial Qualifi cations and the District
Committee on Buildings and Locations in several districts.
It would be diffi cult to count the number of lives that have been impacted by the faith and the preaching of Roy Bell. Under his leadership, 547 people joined
his congregations on profession of faith. His ministry not only touched the lives of the members of the churches that he served, but also those of the community,
for Roy was always involved in civic matters wherever he served. He was a Mason and a Lion, and served as President of the Spencer Lions Club. Several of
his churches also sponsored "Dial-a-prayer" or "Dial-a-devotion" telephone lines, where untold people called and received spiritual sustenance. Many of these
devotions and prayers have been published in his two books: Help in Time of Trouble (1964) and Living Today with Hope (1996).
Roy and Caroline were blessed with four sons: Marvin Edward Bell, born Aug. 3, 1946 and tragically killed in an automobile accident on Nov. 29, 1991, while
returning home from celebrating his parents' wedding anniversary; Roy Edison Bell, Jr., born Jan. 22, 1950, now living in Concord with his wife, Yvonne Michael;
David Crowell Bell, born Nov. 19, 1952, now living in Raleigh; and John Clyde Bell, born Aug. 11, 1954, now living in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Cynthia
Richards Bell. Roy is also survived by fi ve grandchildren, Audrey Louise Haynes of Murphy, Amber Suzanne Bell of New York, NY, Lee Graham Bell of Huntsville,
Alabama, Michael William Bell of Vero Beach, Florida, and John Tabor Bell of Raleigh, and three great-grandchildren. Following 64 years of marriage, Caroline
preceded Roy in death and entered the Church Triumphant on Sept. 1, 2003.
Roy was proud to be a United Methodist minister. Even when his health began to fail, he continued to be interested in the actions of the annual conference. 2008 marked the fi rst year since 1992 that he did not ask this writer for a detailed account of what "really" happened at Annual Conference, complete with
copies of handouts, bulletins, and especially the appointments. In fact, during the past few years, Roy would watch Annual Conference from his room at Autumn
Care in Salisbury, broadcast live over the internet. After all, how many nursing home residents have a high-speed internet hook-up in their room and the
knowledge and ability to use it!
In what proved to be this writer's fi nal visit with Roy, he told me how much he missed Caroline and that he was ready to go and join her in God's heavenly
kingdom. He also shared with his sons that he was not afraid of death, for he knew that Jesus had prepared a place for him eternally.
Following a period of declining health, Roy Edison Bell, Sr. entered the church triumphant on May 27, 2008. A private committal service with Masonic rites
was held at Rowan Memorial Park on May 31, 2008, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Robert T. McLawhorn, pastor of Central UMC, Spencer, and this writer, and was
followed by a celebratory Service of Lessons and Hymns (planned in advance by Roy) at Central UMC, Spencer, conducted by the same clergy.
In closing, I share one of the prayers which Roy wrote and published in his book, Living Today with Hope.
O God Almighty, help us to see through the screen that is sometimes so dark and thick that it hides the vision of the brightness of your love. Allow us to see
through that screen the life that surrounds us, that penetrates every particle of our being. May your love lift us and carry us through all trials and temptations,
exalting us so that we may be companions with him who in his defeat was sublimely victorious. Amen.
James L. Pyatt
Conference historian

Source: The 2009 Journal of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC 2009, page 312