Earlier this year, Dr. Rollan Roberts (Bible ’88) once again climbed the steps of a well-known, historical building-the West Virginia Capitol. But this is not the only set of steps Dr. Roberts frequently visits. Approximately an hour away in a city named Beaver, Dr. Roberts pastors Victory Baptist Church, which meets weekly in a stately red-brick building. Though both jobs require hours of his time, Dr. Roberts knows he has been called to serve inside the walls of each. In both places, he shoulders responsibilities and seeks to make a difference that will honor Christ.
A Call to Pastor
Dr. Roberts has served in ministry for decades. Before studying Bible at Pensacola Christian College, he worked as an associate pastor for nine years. “That practical experience helped me to capitalize on the Bible major and biblical languages minor class offerings,” Dr. Roberts said as he looked back on his time at PCC. “Taking an additional business course gave me a good foundation to manage ministerial duties.”
Around the time he was finishing his degree, Dr. Roberts felt the Lord leading him and his wife, Debbie, to a church in Beaver, West Virginia. This was almost forty years ago, and Dr. Roberts and his wife have been faithfully ministering at Victory Baptist Church since. The church meets regularly for worship and offers various ministries to families such as Master Clubs and a youth ministry called iLife Teens.
Dr. Roberts also serves as the administrator for Victory Baptist Academy, which is connected to Victory Baptist Church and accepts students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.
A New Way to Serve
In 2018, Dr. Roberts saw God opening new doors for service as the chance to run for a seat as a state senator became available. “The opportunity to be appointed as a senator arose when the former senator resigned,” Dr. Roberts explained. “Even though I wasn’t appointed, it was obvious to my family, my church, and me that God wanted me to run for the seat. It seemed to me that the state legislature was in dire need of godly wisdom and discernment.”
Dr. Roberts won the election to the West Virginia State Senate and for the past several years has worked to make a positive difference in his community and state. Currently, he holds the title of Assistant Majority Whip and serves on several committees including Economic Development, Education, Health, School Choice, Senate Finance, and Transportation and Infrastructure. He is especially passionate about issues related to religious liberty and school choice.
“It was obvious to my family, my church, and me that God wanted me to run for the seat.”
During each legislative session, Dr. Roberts and other state senators work hard to get a lot accomplished. “Over 2,200 bills are introduced every session with around 300 making it across the finish line,” Dr. Roberts said. “Since I chair the Workforce Committee, any issue that deals with employment falls under my responsibility.”
Accomplishments While in Office
Over the years, Dr. Rollan Roberts has been instrumental in getting several bills passed. Many of these legislative efforts deal with school choice, tax cuts, and workforce initiatives. “In 2023, our senate Finance Committee led the legislature to extend tax cuts of $750 million to [West Virginia] taxpayers,” Dr. Roberts explained. “In 2024, we are projected to have a $780 million surplus which should trigger additional tax breaks.”
Another of Dr. Roberts’s accomplishments includes creating and helping pass the HOPE Scholarship, “which creates a pathway for families to use state education tax dollars for private forms of education,” said Dr. Roberts. “By utilizing individual student education service accounts, Christian schools are not directly receiving tax dollars from the state.”
Dr. Roberts has also encouraged a stronger workforce through legislative efforts related to food stamp recipients. He was the lead sponsor and wrote legislation in which “many thousands of able-bodied adults without children who are SNAP (food stamp) recipients are mandated to meet certain treatment, education, training, volunteer, or employment requirements. This bill is being used nationally as model legislation.”
Additionally, Dr. Roberts was happy to see “the West Virginia Labor Force Participation Rate increasing statewide for the first time in over fifty years” and to help “guide model legislation on limiting abortions in WV with stringent exceptions.”
“I am honored and humbled that God has used me to influence others spiritually.”
With so many responsibilities as a state senator, Dr. Roberts must stay organized so that he can also be present for his church family. To better balance his responsibilities, he explained, “I prepare six months of sermons every year by December so I can have flexibility throughout the winter and spring. That is the key to managing my thoughts during the second semester and the legislative session.”
All in all, Dr. Rollan Roberts recognizes that the positions he holds are from the Lord. “I am honored and humbled that God has used me to influence others spiritually throughout the West Virginia State Capitol complex,” he said. “To God be the glory for the great things He has done, is doing, and will do!”
Read more about how God is directing and working through PCC faculty and alumni.