For nine years Roger pastored in two different churches in the state of Virginia. His last church was gracious enough to allow him to do about six revivals a year. This was enough to get his feet wet in evangelism and discover that he liked doing this kind of work, and felt that God had gifted him in this particular area.

About two years before Roger left the pastorate, he and his wife, Ester, began to pray about the possibility of going into full-time evangelism. Two events in particular led him to his call. He remembers coming in from a revival one night and was hanging his jacket in the closet. His back was to his wife who was already lying in bed reading her Bible. As he hung up the jacket, she said to him, “Roger you do know God is going to use you as an evangelist, don’t you?” There was a lump in his throat and he could not even answer… he just nodded yes he understood.

Billy Graham said there are two ways to know God is calling you to be an evangelist. First, your wife will be your greatest encourager and source of strength. Secondly, people who walk with God will affirm you. When Roger resigned from the church many of them said they always knew this is what he would do.

The other event that stands out happened in the fall of 1992. Chuck Swindoll preached a message on five ways to know God is dealing with you about change. Roger has shared these five points with numerous pastors, staff, and church members over the years who are seeking God’s will for their lives. He carries a list of them in his wallet to this day. Those five points are are follows:

1. An increasing uneasiness with your current situation.
2. A heightened curiosity about a new challenge.
3. A decreasing attachment to tangible securities and creature comforts.
4. A growing desire to obey God at all cost.
5. An inability to turn the thought off.

God used that message to help Roger accept the call to evangelism. When he got to the last point he sat up and said, “Dear God, He is calling me to be an evangelist!” They had been unable to get it off their minds. Shortly after that on New Year’s weekend, Roger announced to the church that he would be leaving the pastorate to form the Roger Roller Evangelistic Association. He got his first revival invitation the next day and as they say, the rest is history. Roger often tells people that being an evangelist is not for everybody, but it is for him. He is thankful for the gift God has given him and hopes to use it for His glory in the years to come.