About Beyond the 12
The Ministry
Beyond the 12 is a Christ-centered outreach ministry calling believers to step out in faith—beyond comfort zones, beyond routine, and beyond tradition—and into a deeper walk with Jesus.
Our mission is to equip, encourage, and challenge people to boldly share the Gospel, serve selflessly, and live out their faith with purpose every day.
Rooted in the Great Commission, Beyond the 12 exists to carry the Good News beyond the walls of the church—to the forgotten, the broken, the lost, and wherever God calls us to go.
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”
— Mark 16:15
The 12 went. Will you?
About Royce Bottoms
H. Royce Bottoms Jr. has spent much of his life serving others—as a soldier, firefighter, minister, safety professional, husband, father, and follower of Jesus Christ.
His journey has taken him from military service and the fire service to more than 26 years of ministry. Along the way, Royce has experienced leadership, accomplishment, hardship, loss, failure, rebuilding, and the kind of life experiences that have taught him that faith is not simply something we talk about—it is something we have to live.
After 14 years of military service, Royce left the Georgia Army National Guard as a Staff Sergeant. His military background included service as a combat medic, Airborne and Air Assault training, and experiences that profoundly shaped his understanding of service, sacrifice, leadership, and the value of life.
He also spent approximately 20 years in the fire service, progressing from firefighter into emergency response, hazardous materials, instruction, and leadership. Those years reinforced a lesson that has followed him throughout his life: when people are hurting, somebody has to be willing to show up.
But Royce's story isn't simply a collection of uniforms, accomplishments, or titles.
There have also been difficult chapters—personal struggles, loss, brokenness, questions, and seasons of rebuilding. Through those experiences, Royce came to understand grace not as an abstract theological idea, but as something deeply personal: God can still work through an imperfect life.
That journey became the foundation for his book, Forged in Fire and Grace: A Journey Through Hardship, Calling, Collapse, and Redemption, an honest account of faith, service, failure, perseverance, and redemption.
Today, Royce continues his commitment to protecting and serving others through occupational safety while pursuing his calling through Beyond the 12 and the Jesus & a Cup of Joe podcast. His heart is especially drawn toward veterans, first responders, people struggling through difficult seasons, and believers who know there must be more to following Jesus than simply sitting in a church pew.
Beyond the 12 grew from a simple conviction:
Jesus told His disciples to go.
Royce believes that calling hasn't changed.
His desire is not to build a ministry around himself, but to use the experiences God has allowed him to walk through—the victories as well as the scars—to point people toward Jesus Christ, hope, purpose, service, and the transforming power of grace.
“I've been some places. I've seen some things. I've won some battles, and I've lost a lot along the way. I don't have all the answers. But by the grace of God, I'm still here—and I still have a mission.”
The 12 went. Will you?
