At 7 years old, Cpl. Ray Towry told anyone who would listen that he wanted to preach someday. At 16, he acted on that calling by preaching his first sermon at Molino Baptist Church in Fayetteville. This year, at just 25 years old, he accepted a full-time lead pastor position at Hickory Grove Baptist Church. His heart for serving is evident in his many accomplishments and his contributions to the Fayetteville community.
Towry is not only a pastor but also a Marine Corps reservist and an aerospace engineer. He is also a husband and a new father to a baby boy. Fayetteville has always been his home, and he has dedicated his life and all of his pursuits to his faith, family, and community here in Middle Tennessee.
Towry’s strong faith in God inspired him to pursue ministry opportunities even as a teenager. Around age 15, he began taking active leadership roles in his youth ministry and leading small groups at Molino Baptist Church, and in September 2017, at 16, he preached his first main service. He has never attended seminary or pursued formal ministry education, but says he has always felt that call on his life.
“I was saved and baptized at 7 years old, and ever since then, I have said that I wanted to be a preacher when I grew up,” Towry said.
He has filled in at churches across Lincoln County, answering calls for revivals, guest spots, and whenever a congregation needs someone to step in.
Alongside his ministry work, Towry serves as a Corporal E-4, a non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He joined at age 20, drawn by something he couldn’t find anywhere else.
“I just really wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, and that just seemed like the best way,” Towry said.
He spent nine months away for his military training before returning to Fayetteville, and he has been based here ever since. Towry reports to a duty station in Huntsville and serves as an artilleryman, operating a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). When he’s not drilling, he works full time at Blue Origin, an aerospace company in Huntsville.
“My title is integration engineer, but I’m more or less a mechanic,” he said.
Balancing military service, a full-time job, and a preaching ministry is no small thing, but Towry says his faith and his family hold everything together. He and his wife, Julie, will celebrate two years of marriage this July. They also welcomed their 11-month-old son, Krew, last year. Julie has stood by his side in ministry from the beginning, and the two have served together in youth ministry, working with middle schoolers at Stewart’s Chapel. Ray says taking on a full-time pastoral position was the next logical step, and one they had been expecting.
“We’ve been praying about the decision,” Ray said. “She’s ready. She’s supported it all along.”
Ray is someone who makes people feel welcomed and loved wherever he goes. He says that comes from his understanding of what it means to follow Christ.
“We’re called to love other people with everything that we have. Not necessarily accept everything that they accept, but we’re still called to love the person,” he said. “Your biggest form of evangelism is the way that you live your own life. I just try to make sure that I’m living it in a way that reflects Christ.”
Ray said that increasingly, church has become less of a priority, even across multiple generations. He hopes to change that, one community at a time.
“God’s not just something that we hear about. He’s real, and He loves us very much,” Ray said.
He credits his grandfather, Don Pierson, and Joey Self with pouring into his life through the church. Their influence, along with his time in the Marine Corps and his connection to the people of Fayetteville, has shaped a servant-hearted man with many years of impact still to come. GN
