Laray Dyer on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Laray Dyer. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Laray, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m most proud of building something most people never see: the hidden foundations of my work as a missionary and builder. For two decades, I’ve lived, worked, and served in Atlanta while quietly building prayer rhythms, leadership systems, and resilience that could carry global assignments.

Long before I built tiny homes, literacy hubs, or mobilized missions teams, I had to build the unseen structures—faith, endurance, and strategy—that now allow me to serve both churches here in Atlanta and communities across Africa. The world often sees the fruit, but I’m most proud of the roots.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Laray Dyer, Global Missions Strategist and founder of Fields of Grace and HarvestWorks Consulting. I’ve lived and served in Atlanta for over two decades, and my calling is simple: to equip the Black church to reclaim its historic role as a global missions force.

Over the years, I’ve mobilized teams, raised resources, and built initiatives that bring together faith, opportunity, and empowerment. From tiny homes for families to literacy and learning centers, I’ve seen how pairing the Gospel with infrastructure and opportunity creates lasting change. This is not charity. It’s transformation.

Today, I’m stewarding a movement that helps pastors move from sporadic offerings to systems of sending that relieve pressure on leaders and mobilize entire congregations into a culture of missions. Through coaching, partnerships, and practical strategies, my mission is to empower churches and communities to thrive here in Atlanta and abroad.

My story is one of comeback and calling, and my greatest joy is seeing pastors and churches empowered to rise into their divine assignment and take their place in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My mother has always seen me clearly. From the very beginning, I felt loved, empowered, and full of promise. At the age of five, she enrolled me in the Milton S. Hershey boarding school, where I grew up surrounded by friends from all over the world. In middle and high school, she not only covered me but also modeled how to advocate for myself and for others.

Long before I could recognize it in myself, she saw the makings of a global leader. When I faced opposition, we stood together before the school board and helped draft a policy against racial, ethnic, and religious intimidation. That policy made international news and remains in place today. Later, I co-founded a diversity council that educated peers and faculty on inclusion, equity, and leadership, shaping the culture of our school for years to come.

Because of her, I learned to see life through a global lens. That vision has reinforced my missional mandate: to build bridges across cultures, empower communities, and send leaders into their divine assignment.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has been my greatest teacher. Success didn’t teach me how to lose everything and still serve faithfully. It never taught me how to sit in silence or trust God when I had nothing to show for decades of hard work.

In 2024, I lost my job, my house, and my car in the same season. Everything I thought was stable was shaken. On paper, it looked like failure, but in reality, it was God rebuilding me from the inside out. My calling was activated in loss, proven in silence, and forged in fire.

Suffering gave me perspective. It gave me eyes to see others differently. It’s what makes me passionate about missions and ministry today—not just building homes and literacy centers in Africa, but building hope in people. Because when you’ve walked through the valley and survived, you don’t just tell others they can make it. You carry proof that they will.

It also taught me that true success is not in what you accumulate, but in who you become, and how you help others rise into their divine assignment.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
One project I am committed to no matter how long it takes is the Sovereignty Hub in South Africa. This is more than a building or a program; it’s a model of transformation. The vision is to create spaces that blend discipleship with empowerment: tiny homes for stability, literacy and learning centers for growth, and enterprise labs that equip people with the skills to thrive.

I believe the Sovereignty Hub will demonstrate “trade, not aid.” It’s about sustainability, not dependency. Even if it takes years, I am committed to seeing this blueprint come to life because it embodies my calling: bridging ministry, marketplace, and missions so people can rise up.

And it’s not just about today—it’s about legacy. The Sovereignty Hub is designed to outlive me, so that generations to come will inherit systems of dignity, discipleship, and destiny. Once this model is proven, it can be translated across Africa and adapted for nations around the world—becoming a transferable blueprint that empowers local leaders to contextualize and multiply transformation in their own communities.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Most see missions as a trip, a project, or an offering. I see that without structure, sustainability, and systems, momentum dies. I understand how to move churches and communities from sporadic giving to sending cultures that last for generations.

Many separate missions, ministry, and marketplace. I understand they must be braided together to bring true transformation. Sovereignty hubs, eco-homes, literacy labs, and enterprise training are not extras; they are discipleship in action.

Most people run from pain. I’ve lived through losing my job, my home, and my car, yet I’ve come back clearer. I carry the conviction that suffering is never wasted. It forges credibility, compassion, and perspective. I understand that authority comes from what I’ve survived, not just what I’ve studied.

That’s why I lead the way I do today: not just to build projects, but to build people who carry transformation forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesacredtakeover.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/laraydyer

Image Credits
RaQuita Weathers, Christianne Deshields