MASTER Provisions Staff Information
Please take a few minutes to meet our staff and learn a little about them. They come from many places, and had a variety of previous jobs. However, they all share a burning desire to spread the story of the love and mercy of Jesus by helping the less fortunate in several countries.
Roger Babik
Roger is a 1979 Graduate of Milligan College. He left a 17 yr.
career with Cincinnati Bell in 1996 after launching MASTER Provisions
on a part-time basis in June of 1994. Roger and his wife, Tanya, are the
parents of 4: Lydia, Jerrod, Leah & Joy. They attend First Church of
Christ in Burlington, KY. Roger directs the day-to-day activities and
provides oversight for MP and leads our annual large-team mission trip
to Ukraine. He also directs a lot of clothing events. Roger is known
affectionately as the "Clothesman."
(Contact Info)
The photo shows the Roger Babik Family - December 2007: Roger, Tanya, Lydia, Jerrod, Leah, Joy and Travis Young (Lydia's fiance)
Tom Pendergrass
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Tom may be the only retired preacher with a full-time job!
He graduated from Pacific Christian College (now Hope International
University) in 1956. Tom served churches in the western U.S. and was
lured east of the Mississippi in April, 1999, to serve MASTER
Provisions as the Administrative Director. He married Barbara Griffin
and his family has grown to two children, Marvin Pendergrass and Paula
Babik, 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Tom and Barbara
worship and serve at First Church of Christ in Burlington, KY.
(Contact Info)
Jim Smelser
Jim entered service full-time with MASTER Provisions in
December, 1999. He is a 1980 graduate of Cincinnati Bible College. Jim
wooed Tammie Paul, soprano extraodinaire and became father of 3
daughters: Ariel, Anna, and Michal. He had served MASTER Provisions
in a volunteer capacity for nearly 6 years before joining the full-time
staff. Jim has well earned the nickname of Jim "Broken-Bus" Smelser
since he is our main over-the-road trucker for hauling clothing
containers and has endured countless roadside vehicle breakdowns.
Jim's family is involved at White River Christian Church in Noblesville,
IN. (Contact Info)
Don Davisson
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Don is a 1964 graduate of Milligan College and a 1969 graduate of Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with a Master of Divinity
degree. He serves MASTER Provisions as an assistant administrator and
helps with truck driving and clothes packing events. Don served in
Pastoral Ministry for 40 years prior to joining MP in January of 2003.
He and his wife Carolyn have been married 47 years as of 1/25/05. They
have two grown sons, Terre (wife Mary) and Max (wife Carrie) and seven
grandchildren (six boys). They reside in Erlanger, in Northern Kentucky.
(Contact Info)
Lucia Parker
Lucia brought the first female touch to the MP staff along with valuable
years of office administration experience. She joined us on November 1,
2005 after serving a 6-month internship in Kherson, Ukraine leading a street
children's ministry. She and her husband, JJ, tied the marriage knot back
in 1998 and are ready to welcome Baby #1 to the world in April of 2006.
They call Northern Kentucky "home" since returning from the mission field.
Lucia manages the MP office with assistance from Tom and Don. Lucia enjoys
scrapbooking and JJ is into golf and skilled carpentry/ceramics work.
(Contact Info)
Dave Mayer
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Dave joined the team of MASTER Provisions in January of 2003 and serves as a
Support Specialist. Dave graduated from Milligan (TN) College and coordinates
events in Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia and frequently drives the
"big rigs". He regularly puts his mechanical skills to work for MP keeping
our "aging" fleet of vehicles in tip-top shape. Dave and his bride, Julie,
were blessed with child number one, Lydia, in September of '04. They worship
at Stringtown Christian Church, just outside of Cynthiana, KY and reside in
Williamstown.
(Contact Info)
Jacob Parker
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Jake, or Big Daddy, serves as a volunteer assistant and attends
Union (KY) Baptist Church. Since the early fall of 2004, Jake helps us
daily with clothes pickups and packing clothes and loading containers.
His remarkable testimony is highlighted by God saving him from certain
death in a 1996 accident that left him comatose for 4 months. Twice
during brain surgery, Jake was pronounced dead, yet revived, and his
parents were told that he would never walk or talk again. God does
miracles and Jake is living proof! Take a chance to talk to this physical
and spiritual giant of a man when you see him at a clothing event. Jake,
who is single, is an incredible blessing to MP and a great testimony of
how God does miracles and changes lives today!
(Contact Info)