TBM presented longtime disaster relief volunteers Ralph Rogers and Gary Smith the Robert E. Dixon Service Award for their decades of delivering help, hope and healing after disasters in Texas and around the world.
Rogers of Amarillo is the architect and mastermind behind the system that tracks the movement of TBM Disaster Relief units and their daily activity. The system is so effective that it’s been adopted and used by Southern Baptist disaster relief teams across the nation.
Rogers has served in numerous leadership positions throughout the years, including vice president of the TBM Disaster Relief Committee.
“Ralph has long been a voice of wisdom and guidance for disaster relief,” said TBM Executive Director/CEO Mickey Lenamon. “His ability to bring information together, interpret it and make people’s lives better is unmatched. Because of his commitment, people’s lives are better today.”
Smith of McKinney became part of TBM Disaster Relief in the early 1990s and rose quickly through the leadership ranks. He spearheaded TBM’s response following a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 500 people in Turkey. Volunteers under Smith’s watch provided practical help to hurting people and offered hope for better days ahead.
Smith has served in numerous deployments, often for extended periods. He also has served in numerous TBM capacities, including as president of the organization.
“Gary is the picture of calm in the midst of any storm,” Lenamon said. “No matter the situation, he remains focused on helping people in the name of Christ. As a result, people have found the assistance they’ve desperately needed. They’ve started relationships with Jesus. Lives have been radically changed. That’s an incredible legacy.”
The Robert E. Dixon Service Award honors individuals who have served through TBM for at least 20 years. The awards for Smith and Rogers were presented during A Celebration of Hope, a TBM event that shared some of the latest ways God is changing lives through the ministry.
The day before the gathering, TBM volunteer Joe Detterman was presented the North American Mission Board Joel W. Phillips Award Outstanding Achievement Award. Detterman has been one of the pillars of TBM Disaster Relief for more than 20 years, serving a variety of roles and deployments.