by Keith Bassham
Pastor Steve Reynolds of Capital Baptist Church in Annandale, Virginia, says he was “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” but that was about five years and more than 100 pounds ago. And going beyond the normal “weight loss is the healthy thing to do,” Steve maintains there is a spiritual component as well.
He talks about losing weight from the pulpit. He stresses the use of the word “body” in the Bible (179 times) and he preaches that Colossians 1:16 states that man is made by God and for God.
Steve’s own story is not unusual for a Southerner and a Baptist. According to him, and there are studies to back him up, Baptists as a group have more obesity than other religious groups (30 percent according to a Purdue University study). He grew up on southern comfort foods and nightly bowls of ice cream. All that changed, however, when his scales topped 300 pounds, and his doctor told him he was a diabetic.
His own Bible study led him to all the “body” passages, but the kicker was the passage in Colossians. In that one passage, he says, “I learned that everything that exists was created by Him (God) and for Him. That included me. If He was in control of all things, then He was in control of my life, and if I’d let Him, He could be in control of my weight issues too. It was a wonderful revelation.”
Shunning standard programs and commercial alternatives, and depending on God to guide him, Steve developed his own weight loss program using DIET, each letter standing for a key to a better body: dedication, inspiration, eat and exercise, and team. He adopted a label, Bod4God, started on his path toward fitness, and then began bringing his church members along with him.
The result has been not only a slimmer pastor in the pulpit of Capital Baptist Church, but positive media attention at the Washington Post, Fox Television News, CNN, and CBN, as people began calling Reynolds the “anti-fat pastor.”
Bod4God today refers to a book, a website, a weight-loss program, and an evangelistic outreach. Weight-loss small group Bible studies and support groups meet at Capital Baptist Church year round, with the classes and meetings open to the public. Steve says they have all kinds of people coming to the meetings. He says, “We’ve even had Muslims want to participate.”
The program is completely portable and similar to the popular Biggest Loser idea. Called Losing to Live, participants compete with team members and other teams over an 11-week period to lose weight in a supportive environment. The programs include devotions, Bible studies, prayer, weigh-ins, and nutrition tips.
For Steve, the key to long-term weight loss is a spiritual dimension and personal support. He is continually encouraging his fellow pastors with their own weight issues. It works better, he says, if you don’t try to do it all by yourself. “Come on,” he says, “and join a team of losers!”
A section of Steve’s book, Bod4God, has been adapted and can be found by clicking here.
Reynolds and his wife Debbie have three adult children. He is a 1980 graduate of Liberty University and a 1982 graduate of Liberty Theological Seminary. For more information about Steve Reynolds, Bod4God, or Losing to Live, see his website, bod4god.org, or write him at Losing to Live, PO Box 300, Merrifield, VA 22116, or phone (866) 596-6008.