The Rev. Steve Sheely

THROUGH OTHERS’ EYES

“When he hears a call, you just have to believe it. You have to wait on it. I keep having to learn the lesson in my own life that God’s timing is perfect, and it’s not always my timing. Steve has a deep faith and has definitely followed a nontraditional path in his ministry. Yeah, I do think it’s hard as the spouse of a minister — especially one that was kind of new to her own faith to believe in his call. … We talked a lot and we prayed a lot, and I think the fact that Steve is an excellent communicator was helpful.”

— Marla Sheely “He’s just a really good community member, a good friend to all types of people and has made a real difference in the lives of, especially, the people in our support group … He really has meant a lot to the parents. If you talk to any of them, you would get the same type of report from them that you get from me because we all love him.”

— Dr. Susan Averitt “A friend of mine is in [Parents Left Behind] and she has told me, repeatedly, that he has such a gift for that ministry. [Sheely] has always said he feels like he’s just there to facilitate because he’s never lost a child. But the people who he ministers to feel as though that’s one of his God-given gifts.”

— Deacon Stacy Grovey “And he’s such a humble guy. He went to Yale Divinity School! When we’re out somewhere, I always try to point that out. He blows it off, like it’s nothing, but to me, that’s pretty amazing.”

— Rob Earp “Steve will do anything in the world for you. He’ll drop what he’s doing at the drop of a hat — doesn’t ask how or why — and says, ‘I can be there to help you out.’ First and foremost he’s a man of God. He’s a great friend. He has a wonderful sense of humor. He’s just a genuinely good man.”