Ralph Haynes Sexton Sr. (1919–2004) was an American preacher and evangelist whose vibrant ministry left a profound impact on evangelical Christianity, particularly in Western North Carolina. Born on September 14, 1919, in Asheville, North Carolina, to Charlie Harrison Sexton and Mary Elizabeth Shetley Sexton, he was raised in a modest family. A 1937 graduate of Emma High School, where he served as valedictorian, Sexton pursued theological education at Toccoa Falls Bible College in Georgia and Nyack Missionary Training Institute in New York. His call to preach came as a teenager when he felt physically drawn into a tent revival, abandoning plans to see a movie, and soon after began his 66-year ministry career. On December 24, 1944, he married Jacqueline Buckner, with whom he had one son, Ralph Sexton Jr. Sexton’s preaching career began in the streets and rescue missions of Asheville, evolving into a dynamic evangelistic ministry that utilized tents, front yards, and later radio and television to reach thousands. In 1966, he founded Trinity Baptist Church in Asheville, growing it from humble beginnings into one of the region’s largest congregations, supporting missionaries worldwide and aiding disaster victims through programs like Hearts with Hands. His "Daily Broadcast Radio" on WWNC during World War II and his television ministry, launched in 1960 on WLOS, extended his reach, with the latter continuing posthumously. Sexton pastored Trinity until 1988, when his son succeeded him, remaining Pastor Emeritus until his death. Honored with a Doctor of Divinity from Tabernacle Baptist College in 1979, he died of a brain tumor on January 13, 2004, and was buried in Green Hills Cemetery, Asheville, leaving a legacy as a tireless gospel preacher and community servant.