Three volunteers were recognized recently for their service in Disaster Relief: David Carver, Pam Stallings, and Rev. Ron Taylor. Annual awards were presented at the Disaster Relief (DR) training event in Conway on March 16, 2019 by Randy Creamer, director of South Carolina Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, and Ken Owens, SCBC Missions Mobilization Team leader.

David Carver received the Choice & Grace Watson Award for personifying a lifetime of service in Disaster Relief ministry. Now a member of Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Cerro Gordo, NC, David previously lived and served in the Seneca area of SC and continues to step across the state line to serve with SC Baptist Disaster Relief whenever needed.

David’s roles have included Unit Leader for both chainsaw and flood recovery (“mud-out”) units, chaplain, associational DR director, trainer, Incident Commander (“white hat”), and member of the SC Baptist DR Task Force. He has served in countless deployments across the nation and here in South Carolina. David is noted for having a servant heart, ready to do anything that needs to be done no matter how big or small, and always serving to glorify his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pam Stallings receives Permelia Creamer Memorial Award from Permelia’s son Jason as Randy Creamer looks on.

Pam Stallings received the Permelia Creamer Memorial Award for outstanding ministry by a woman in SCBDR. Pam is a member of Hebron Baptist Church in the Florence Association, where she serves as Unit Leader for the Hebron Feeding Unit. She is also the Region 4 Feeding Coordinator, helping to coordinate feeding volunteers in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas of the state.

A long-time DR volunteer, Pam has served in mass feeding deployments where the mobile kitchen unit was preparing thousands of meals. She also serves in church kitchens at DR command posts, feeding the 30-50 DR volunteers staying in the church and serving in the area. Pam and other team members recently spent a total of thirty days on two different deployments to Port St. Joe, FL in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. She is known for her commitment to share the gospel through words and deeds, and for her persistence in doing whatever it takes to meet the needs of disaster survivors.

Jason Creamer, son of the late Permelia Creamer, assisted in presenting the award given in his mother’s memory.

Rev. Ron Taylor received the Tommy Thompson Memorial Award for leadership by example in the smaller membership/rural areas of the state. A member of Latta Baptist Church, Ron serves as the Director of Missions in the Pee Dee Baptist Association, and as Unit Leader for the association’s chainsaw team.

Ron truly leads by example as his association’s chainsaw unit has been the most active in the state over the past three years. In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew’s destruction in their own area in 2016, Ron led the unit to cut trees day after day for months. They reported completing 64 chainsaw jobs, most of them huge trees and many of them on roofs. Then when Hurricane Florence hit last fall, the team again went into action. Two months later when they laid down their saws, they had completed 67 chainsaw jobs, an incredible number for one unit, all to meet needs and touch lives in the name of Jesus.

On receiving the award, Ron’s servant leadership was evident as he was quick to give credit to the team members who serve faithfully with the Pee Dee chainsaw unit.

Congratulations to these award winners. May God bless you for your service!