2008 Servant Heart Award Winner

Pastor Walter Colace of Christ Community Church in El Centro, California.

Pastor Colace was nominated by Angel Dyson who wrote the following:

"Pastor Walt - first and foremost is a man who lives and dwells on Scripture and is a true man of prayer. He prays consistently for the congregation, he worries for his testimony to the congregation and our community, he is accountable and trustworthy. He preaches fulltime, is attending Seminary (125 miles away) weekly, he is a pastor of discipline and discipleship. He takes the good and blessings along with the tough and trying. THROUGH PRAYER!

I am grateful for his leadership, dedication to his wife, his children, our church family and the desire to see our community stand for Christ. He founded New Creations, a Christian life school; some might call a rehab center 15 years ago. However, we teach people to live by the word of God and through Christlike behavior. Our church, Christ Community Church, is a byproduct of the New Creations - the church is just 10 years old. We are growing and growing, sending out missionaries from within the congregation and I see it as a healthy place to worship, grow in the Lord and follow an example of encouragement to trust in the Lord. The Lost must hear the word from somewhere - if not from us... who?"

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2007 Servant Heart Award Winner

Pastor Kenneth Ray Hammond of Union Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina.

Pastor Hammond was nominated by Eloise Edwards who described her Pastor this way:

"Our pastor shows a Servant Heart when he goes out into the community to try to reach the "unreachable." He is very committed to our young people and especially our young men. He is working to resolve the gang culture that is in our community. He has helped young men to get out of this community because of the gang situation so that they can see a better way and he goes into his own pockets to help finance these young people. I see Jesus Christ in our pastor when I see him cry over the loss of a young person who has been killed by gang violence; when he stops and spends time with the senior citizens of our congregation; when he goes on mission trips to other countries to impart the word of God; when he rolls up his sleeves on a Habitat for Humanity cause; when the little children of our church run up to him for a hug or a handshake; when he treats his staff as though he is the "sheep rather than the shepherd." I see Jesus Christ in our pastor through his every day walk. He is a good shepherd and our congregation share in this assessment."