Ron was reared in South St. Louis in a Roman Catholic family. Because of his short stature, he experienced a lot. of hurtful insults and slurs from his peers. He was to eventually conclude that if people feared him they would respect him.
At age seventeen he joined the U. S. Marine Corp and its boxing team alongside Leon and Michael Spinks. Upon his discharge, he returned to St. Louis, where he continued his boxing career from Johnny Radisson’s Gym and at Lake of the Ozarks with the U.S. Boxing Team.
In his desire to be accepted, he eventually came under the watchful “eye” of an Italian loan shark and, shortly after, began “collecting” for him. This led him down a path of bad life decisions, resulting in his spending a total of 22 years in both the state and federal prison systems.
But in the process – between imprisonments – God found him in a rural Baptist Church in Potosi, Missouri. His personal story is that in April, 1989 he “met Jesus Christ for the first time as his Lord and Savior.” His life was radically transformed by the power of God! He went from prison to the pulpit!
Ron Boyer’s challenge to others: "I don’t know what roads you have traveled, what pain you have suffered, or what bad decisions you have made. But I do know that, regardless of your experiences, or of the sin in your life, there is a God who loves you.
“Though society and my family gave up on me, God reached down into the ‘dumpster’ that was my life. He redeemed me. He gave me hope. He gave me a future and dignity.“
In April of 2013 Ron Boyer accepted the invitation to become Pastor of New Life Baptist Church in Florissant (North St. Louis County), Missouri. In so doing he expresses the desire of himself and his church: “We want to share the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. It’s a free gift, but you must be willing to receive it by faith.”
In addition to serving his local congregation, he also heads in a prison ministry at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific, MO, serving since 2009 as a volunteer chaplain.
He and his wife Rubiry ("Ruby") Boyer — an educator from Venezuela, South America — have been married for fifteen years. She taught in the Theological Institute at Multi-Centro Christiano Bethel in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
Ruby has also participated in four church plants in her native land and one in the United States. She is currently employed as a Family Educator/Translator, working with Hispanic families.
Pastor Ron Boyer is accessible and can be reached by calling (314) 324-7618.