By Bobby Davis
If ever a couple could say they’ve watched the Lord at work in their lives, it would be John and Ann Roach, from Beaverton, Oregon. They share their amazing story in hopes that others may see that God never gives up!
Born in Houston, Texas, John grew up helping his father, who managed one of the top flower shops in that city. “I loved spending time with him,” he says, “and although his schedule was very hectic on weekends, we attended the First Methodist church when I was growing up. That’s where I first heard about the Sabbath,” he says. “It was in my father’s Sunday School class, which he sometimes let me attend— if I promised to be quiet. Anyway, I heard them say that Saturday was the real Sabbath, so after church, I asked the pastor why we worshiped on Sunday. He said, ‘The Jewish Sabbath is on Saturday, but the Christian Sabbath is on Sunday,’ and I was too young to question that, so I accepted it.”
Tragedy
At the age of 15, John lost his father, who had suffered a tremendous emotional and financial loss and was deeply depressed. “Most days, Dad would get up and sit on the back steps with a cup of coffee; but that day, Mom found him in the garage after he took his life with rope she had bought to make jump ropes for her Sunday School class. I didn’t know a lot about the Scriptures, and when I asked older Christians about my dad’s death, they told me that suicide was the ultimate sin, and that he’d burn in hell forever! Right there I decided I didn’t want to serve God.”
Ann says that her childhood was not nearly as eventful. “My family attended the Presbyterian church that my grandfather helped build,” she says, “and we were good kids, so I always believed I’d go to Heaven.”
John had become a successful salesman for a large ribbon and floral supplies company, and when he relocated in Beaverton and met Ann, the couple hit it off. She was attending Oregon State University, so they would date each summer; but after her junior year, John didn’t see or hear from her, so he called her up. Soon their relationship developed, and they were married.
The Search Begins
John and Ann traveled together for five years, and then they decided to have a baby. However, just before she delivered, Ann landed in the ER, since her unborn baby was showing signs of distress. “I began begging God to save my child,” John says, “and I promised that if He did, I’d go back to church and try to raise her right! Five minutes later, a kind nurse named Sarah came in with reassuring words that calmed Ann, and after checking the monitoring equipment, she exclaimed, ‘I don’t know what happened, but everything is okay with your baby, now!’”
That experience marked the beginning of John’s commitment to find out more about the Lord, and soon they began looking for a church home.
Help Along the Way
A new deck for their home led John to a man named Rodger, who said he could do the job, but wouldn’t work on Saturdays because that’s when he went to church.
John pointed out that his theology must be wrong, but Rodger didn’t argue. Instead, he gave him a Bible, a Strong’s Concordance, and showed him how to use them.
After studying about the Sabbath for several months, John decided to find a Seventh-day Adventist church while on a trip to Boise, Idaho. “I figured that if I didn’t like it, nobody would know, so I prayed, Lord, as far as I can tell, Saturday worship is what You want, but I just need a nudge—and I got it! The sermon that day was, ‘The Sabbath—Holy Day or Holiday?’”
That afternoon, he met Marvin Moore, editor for the Signs of the Times magazine. They studied the Bible for four hours, and another six the next day! Finally, Marvin said, “John, what I’ve shared with you in two days usually takes me 24 lessons!”
However, John had one very important question left. “I asked Marvin, ‘What is your church’s view on suicide?’
“‘Well, John,’ he answered, ‘you can die from a bad liver, from a bad heart, and from bad lungs. So it stands to reason that someone who takes their life might die of a sick brain. The question is, if one is given a perfect brain and a new body, will they serve God throughout eternity? Only Jesus knows that.’ His response gave me great peace, and that night I gave my heart to the Lord.”
Losses
Although John embraced these new truths, he would soon face several severe trials in quick succession. First, his mother became ill with cancer, and in an effort to help, he brought her to his home for about a month. “While she was here, I gave her a Revelation series on tape,” he says, “and before she left, she told me, ‘I’ve learned more about the Bible from those tapes than I have my entire life! Now I know why you’re going to this church, and what you’re doing is right!’ She died shortly after, but the last three weeks of her life she kept God’s Sabbath.”
Six months later, Ann filed for divorce, after hearing from people she trusted that the Seventh-day Adventist Church was a cult, and that her children wouldn’t grow up to be normal because they’d miss out on high school social events, like Friday night football games, and proms.
Although this was a devastating blow, another problem soon came up with work. Right after his baptism, he was told that he would have to work three Saturdays a year. John explained why he could no longer work on Sabbaths, but soon received a letter saying that if he did not show up that weekend, they would take that as his resignation.
He was fired in February, supposedly for not doing his job, but by divine providence, he found a religious liberty leader who helped him file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). God intervened in a marvelous way when he was handed some mail that contained a crucial piece of evidence he needed to eventually win his case—a company printout showing that his sales had actually increased by 42 percent over the past year. His case dragged on for 18 months, and during that time, John felt increasingly ill. Finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, he was forced to file for disability and struggled to survive. He could do little for Ann and his children at that time, but after winning his EEOC case, he began helping them with much-needed home repairs and other necessities. Through his persistent and kind efforts and thoughtfulness, his relationship with Ann began to change.
“I prayed that the Lord would restore my relationship for Ann for 26 years,” he says. “Then, I began asking Him to put someone in her path to lead her to Christ, and an understanding of this message, but I never thought He might choose me!”
Accidents
In 2010, John and Ann stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and were hit from behind by a car traveling 55 mph! “We were both hurt,” Ann says, “but he had diabetes, and had stents put in after a heart attack. So when they asked if I needed an ambulance, I said, ‘Yes—for John!’ As they rolled him away, I blurted out, ‘I love you!’ Then thought, Okay. It’s out there now! That was the beginning of our new relationship.”
Badly injured, John needed special care, so Ann asked if he’d like to stay in the extra bedroom. He agreed, and asked if he could install a satellite dish in his room to pick up the Adventist channels, since she already had Dish Network. One day, she came across 3ABN, and being somewhat familiar with our programming, she began watching Pastor Doug Batchelor. “Doug was easy to understand, and I soon began to look forward to his programs, as well as the vegetarian cooking shows,” she says. “Later, I was talking with John about being a Presbyterian, and he said, ‘Ann, you don’t know it yet, but you’re an Adventist. You’re keeping the Sabbath, and even your eating habits have changed!’ The more I thought about it, the more I knew he was right.”
They were getting along well, and enjoying Sabbaths and Bible study together, but John says that something happened to hurry things along. “As we crossed the street to a restaurant one day, a car hit me, and on the way down, I prayed a short prayer, Lord, please don’t let this car run over me! When I opened my eyes, the car wheel was six inches from my head!”
He spent time in the hospital, and then at a skilled care facility before coming home again, but Ann says, “This accident helped us realize that life can be changed in the blinking of an eye, and that we didn’t want to spend any more time apart. John’s love of Christ, and his kindness to me is how I came to know Jesus.”
The Second Time Around
On June 4, 2016, this beautiful couple was remarried during the Sabbath worship service, with their grown daughters, Sarah and Stephanie, by their side. Following their vows, they stepped into the baptismal tank, where Ann was baptized by Pastor Rodney Payne II, of the Beaverton Seventh-day Adventist Church, and John was re-baptized by Pastor Ray Ammon—who baptized him the first time in 1988.
Their testimony makes it clear that despite our difficulties, God delights in putting things together even better the second time around!
Beaverton Seventh-day Adventist Church
They would love to meet you!
Beaverton Seventh-day Adventist Church Website