Augusta ... a great place to serve and to live

Last night I had the opportunity to offer the invocation at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony. This is an annual event that celebrates the progress of local businesses and name the business of the year. Well, this year's award went to a Stevens Creeker. Congratulations Estevan and your partners at The Cleveland Group for being selected as the business of the year. We are proud of your work!

I left the banquet thinking about our community. We are very blessed to have an opportunity to serve the wonderful citizens of the CSRA (for you non-residents CSRA means Central Savannah River Area). We are blessed to have business leaders in the county that realize that faith is an integral part of our daily lives. In fact, when Karen Chrjapin introduced me last night for the invocation, she said that we want to start the evening out by honoring our Lord and savior. A comment like that would be scoffed at in many communities across our nation, but in our area it seemed very natural and sincere.

I had an opportunity to see many long time acquaintances last night. It was good to see Ron Cross. Ron is the Chairman of the Columbia County Commission which is the equivalent of our mayor. Ron and I are not buddy-buddy, but I have a deep, deep appreciation for him. In early days of Stevens Creek, Ron helped us out significantly by providing our small church staff with offices at an greatly reduced rate in his office building. Money was tight in those transitional days and his gesture to help our congregation will always be remembered.

It's interesting that the event was a Columbia County event, but it was held in Richmond County. Columbia County, even though it is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, does not have the trade show / banquet facilities that our sister county has. Maybe one day, we will.

Let's talk about Richmond County for a minute. For years, the folks with Richmond County have struggled with corruption and mis-management in the local government. Things are changing for the Garden City. Under the leadership of mayor Deke Copenhaver, Augusta-Richmond County is turning the corner.

I don't know Mayor Copenhaver. I have met him at a prayer breakfast before, but I do not know him personally. I follow the mayor on Facebook and we have a mutual friend in Phil Wahl (I was Phil's youth pastor back in the day). Here's what I know about Mayor Copenhaver ... he is a man that has a heart for the Lord and he has a vision for the community. He is a leader that is bringing change ... the change we need in our region. I am proud of what Deke is doing. Maybe one day I will have the honor to tell him face-to-face. Now, that would be an honor.