Larry and Anita Parks | CEO and Administrator

larry.parks@servantcare.com   anita@servantcare.com  

Larry and Anita, high school sweethearts, were married in 1964 and have two daughters, one grandchild, and one great grandchild. Though they were in church all their lives they never remember hearing a salvation message until adulthood. They were saved in 1970 through a Lay Witness Mission held at their church. After 11 years with Delta Air Lines, Larry resigned to follow God's call to be house parents at a Christian City Children's Home in metro Atlanta. Larry later served as principal of Atlanta Christian School in metro Atlanta. After a time God placed him back in market place ministry with Waffle House restaurants. Being evangelists at heart they loved this contact with the lost and had a wonderfully fruitful time ministering there. For 25 years while their children were growing up, and after, they have loved having lost, addicted, hurting people living with them. In 2000 God again called Larry out of market place ministry and they have joyfully served with ServantCARE since that time. They have ministered to or with missionaries onsite in Brazil, Italy two times, Switzerland, Sicily, Mexico three times, and Kenya three times, as well as many missionaries while stateside. Larry has served as an elder at Northside Community Church In Eufaula, Alabama since 1996.

Jacob and Anna Morgan | Assistant Directors

jacob@servantcare.com  anna@servantcare.com 

Jacob and Anna met and became best friends in middle school and began dating when Anna went to college. They were married in December 2009. Anna was saved at 12 and truly surrendered to the Lord at 19. Jacob was saved at 14 and completely surrendered to the Lord's calling at 21. Jacob graduated from Liberty University and Anna is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. Anna is a certified sign language interpreter. Jacob served as a youth pastor for 5 years, and they were both heavily involved in youth ministry since their dating years. Following this full-time ministry, Jacob was called to serve as a police officer in Birmingham, AL for many years. Now, called back to vocational ministry, they now both work for Praying Pelican Missions as a Missions Coordinator and as Assistant Directors for ServantCARE where they share the ministry as they speak in churches, with missionaries/pastors as well as host and minister at The Resting Place, a ServantCARE retreat center in southern Alabama. Their hearts are for missions and the local church worldwide - reaching the world with the Gospel and 'CARING for Those Who Serve'. One or both have served on mission trips in Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Jamaica, Kenya, Puerto Rico, North Africa, Amsterdam, Spain, and the U.S. Jacob and Anna have 2 children, Eric (adopted from Belize) and Eli (born in 2015).

Pastor Rodney Varella

Rod Varella became a Christian in 1975, at the age of 25 and entered the ministry in 1979. After receiving his Bachelor of Ministry degree at Florida Baptist College in 1982 and Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1985, Rod taught high school Bible and coached at a Christian school for 13 years. Having a heart for missions, Rod has traveled to Haiti, The Marshall Islands, Peru, Jordan, Israel, two trips to Kenya, and two trips to Mexico to minister with and to missionaries. Rod has been the pastor of Son Light Fellowship in Eufaula, Alabama since September of 1997. Rod and his wife Dotty have five children and fifteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

Cheryl Hollis | Guest Services Leader

cheryl.hollis@servantcare.com| 678.358.9830

Cheryl, and husband Jack, were both saved as children. Cheryl 'walked the aisle' at the age of five in the Baptist church where she was raised, but it wasn't until her early twenties that Jesus became Lord of her life. After meeting on a blind date they later married in 1983 and became actively involved together in their local church serving in many capacities. In recent years they have moved to North Georgia to be involved in the life of their one grandchild. Presently they are involved in local body ministry and have also served as ServantCARE hosts and intercessors for a number of years prior to coming on staff with ServantCARE.

Anna Morgan | Debrief Leader / Guest Services

anna@servantcare.com

Anna was born and raised near Birmingham, AL. She was saved at the age of 12 when she felt Him whisper to her that He would be a Good Daddy, and she fully surrendered to Him at the age of 19. Although she graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Educational Interpreting (American Sign Language), the Lord has really used that as a means to developing relationships, creating a heart for those who have experienced oppression, and to equip her in working cross-culturally. Her heart is for the local Church around the globe, pastors and their families, and missionaries. Anna serves as Assistant Director and host of The Resting Place with ServantCARE and works as the Consulting/Customer Service Lead and Staff Care Lead for Praying Pelican Missions. She often plans and leads mission trips domestically and internationally, equipping teams to serve and encouraging pastors to continue in what the Lord has called them to. She is the wife to Jacob and the mom to Eric and Eli. She loves Jesus wholeheartedly and wants all she meets to experience the freedom and identity only found in Him.

Jon and Jill Johnston | Debrief Team

Jon and Jill met in Corpus Christi, Texas where they were stationed at the Naval Air Station working as weather forecasters. Jill committed herself to the Lord at 18 while stationed in the Philippines. While being discipled in Corpus Christi, Jill had the opportunity to share the gospel with Jon. God had been working in Jon’s life and he eagerly responded. They married five months later and have been married for 34 years. They have a daughter, two sons, a son in love, a daughter in love, and three most-amazing granddaughters. They both retired from the Navy after thirty and twenty-four years respectively. Having lived in Texas, Japan, Guam, San Diego, and Mississippi and traveling many other places for the military, they retired to the Texas Hill Country. They volunteer in various ministries, including their local church where they serve as an elder couple. Jon has also been to Haiti several times on short term missions. They travel about the country with their travel trailer, visiting their children and grandchildren. Jon enjoys capturing the beauty of God’s creation with photography and painting while Jill does so through the power of the written word. They combined their passions and self-published six photo devotionals in the Be Still series and are currently working on the seventh. They also enjoy entertaining friends and strangers in their home and joined Servant Care as a Hospitality home while living in Mississippi and continue to do so in their Texas home.

Jessica Lindsey | Debrief Team

Jessica grew up in the type of family that attended church only on Easter and maybe around Christmas, but even at a young age she had a heart eager to know the Lord and found the stories in her children’s bible fascinating. She accepted Jesus as her savior at 11 years old at a Christian music concert at the private school she attended, but was well into her twenties before being discipled and truly discovering all that walking with the Lord meant. This pursuit of more of Jesus led her onto the mission field and in 2013 she completed a journey called The World Race, doing ministry in 11 different countries over 11 months. She returned to the ministry site in Honduras to serve another year before leading other trips and trainings. Today you can find Jessica serving our nation’s veterans in her work as a clinical dietitian with the VA. She still has a heart to see the hope of Jesus taken to the nations and loves hearing the stories of missionaries out on the field and will serve them through debriefing those returning from the field. She, her dog Leo, and kitty cat Zoey, reside in southeast Alabama.

Rob and Melissa McGuffey | Debrief Team

Rob & Melissa met in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky in 2005 and married in 2007. Rob was raised in church and developed a strong relationship with the Lord from childhood. Melissa developed a personal relationship with Jesus in her late 20's. In 2010 Rob experienced his first overseas mission trip to Argentina to build a church in a rural community. He had previously told the Lord he "would do anything but mission work" but this trip sparked a deep passion and burden to reach people for the Lord and help vulnerable communities. This trip was the first of many short term mission trips that he would eventually lead. In December of 2016, Rob and Melissa experienced their first mission trip together to an orphanage in Guatemala. It was a very powerful experience for them to serve together. In September of 2017, Rob, Melissa and their 2 children, ages 5 & 7, moved to Guatemala to serve full time at that same orphanage and in local communities. They served for almost 3 years, returning to Louisville, Kentucky in June of 2020. They have experienced first hand the joys and the struggles of changing your whole life to follow the Lord. They received debriefing through ServantCARE upon returning and became passionate to offer the same experience of unpacking the emotions that returning brings to other individuals and families. They now live in Shelbyville, KY on 9 acres of beautiful land that the Lord is providing for both business, as well as an exciting vision for new ministry opportunities with ServantCARE.

Kay Gardner | Guest Services

kay@servantcare.com

Kay (or Kaykay to her grands, kids and close friends) has lived her life in the Birmingham, AL. She attended mostly Baptist churches over the years. She publicly professed her faith to Jesus at the age of 10 - as the choir sang "Just As I Am." Kay has one beautiful daughter, Anna, a son in law, Jacob, and two wonderful grandsons, Eric and Eli. Kay is retired from the Social Security Administration after 38.5 years of work. She knew God didn't let her retire to "retire." She has worked in church as a teacher for children for over 28 years, served in Women's Ministry, supported missions and missionaries, served in local mission work, was primary caregiver for her parents until their passing, and has been on several mission trips to Costa Rica. Recently she was asked to join ServantCARE by her daughter and Mrs. Anita. Kay has a deep love for the Lord, a servant's heart, and is an assest to ServantCARE as well as all who know her.

Julia Vaught | Guest Services

When growing up Julia’s family were not regular church goers, but on one occasion she heard the gospel and as much as a small child could understand, she wanted Jesus. When it was time to enter school her father’s job with the State Department required the family to relocate to Saigon, Vietnam, then Bangkok, Thailand, then Lagos, Nigeria and back to Bangkok for her high school years at the International School. It was at that time a popular girl invited her to a ‘Christian youth rally’. At the end of the meeting there was an altar call and she went forward. It was a real experience with Jesus and a spark was lit. In a foreign country, though, there was nothing in place for discipleship so there was no real spiritual growth. She returned to the U.S. in her senior year and experienced a high level of culture shock. She went on to college and earned a degree in Social Work and later a degree in Business with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. While working she began to go to church and realized the need for community. Over time she began teaching Sunday School, Kay Arthur’s Precept, and Community Bible Study, and most recently she has completed Restoring the Foundations training as an issue focused counselor. Julia and her husband Ben have one daughter, Julianna, who has been in Bangkok, Thailand for several years teaching English through the Global English School. It functions as a Christian school with the student population being mostly Buddhist and non-religious.

Lin Braun | Team CARE Leader

lin.braun@servantcare.com

Lin Braun, growing up near Charleston, SC, gave her heart to Jesus when she was 12. She felt the Lord was calling her to be a missionary overseas, but many years later (thinking she had let Him down) was assured by God that her mission work was here in the states with family, neighbors, strangers and ServantCARE. In 1995, they experienced a move of the Holy Spirit (Ft. Worth, TX) that completely changed them forever. They want to glorify the Lord and serve Him in everything they do. Moving to Eufaula, AL in 1998, they met Larry and Anita Parks through church and after a mission trip to the Marshall Islands in 2004, they felt called to be a part of ServantCARE and began visiting and establishing Hospitality Homes. In 2014, Lin became the Team CARE Ministry Leader. Team CARE has grown from 2 on staff, to 14. She is a retired educator of 30 years, teaching every grade except kindergarten, including college. She and husband, Jeff, have 2 sons, 8 grandchildren, and 1 great granddaughter.

Mickey and Betsy Bedingfield | Team CARE and Debrief Team

Mickey and Betsy Bedingfield have been married since 1994 and have 2 sons, 1 daughter, and 7 grandchildren. Mickey, who grew up in northwest Alabama graduated from Auburn University and received Jesus as his Savior at 8 years of age. He has been employed by the state of Alabama in various data processing departments over the years. Betsy, who grew up in southeast Alabama, received His covenant love at age 37 and has been a homemaker since their marriage. Beside serving as 'senders', they serve as prayer watchmen for the City of Montgomery and Alabama through His Vessels Ministries. Mickey and Betsy have joyfully served as ServantCARE Hospitality Hosts for years before coming on staff. Their hearts desires are to bring glory to God by loving and serving His people.

Evon Belfower | Team CARE

Evon comes to us now from Southwest Georgia, though she grew up in Northern Michigan, where she was saved when she was 16 years old. She moved south after marrying her, now deceased, husband Charlie in 1994. They had one daughter, Sarah, who graduated from Harvard University. Evon is in her 13th year in education and works with special needs students. Growing up in a Christian, mission minded family, Evon had opportunities to serve in Taiwan (6mo.) and Honduras (2wks) on short term missions trips. She always desired to serve God overseas in her life, but His plan has been for her to serve Him in prayer and by supporting those who have gone. She has expressed that she feels very blessed to be a part of ServantCARE to touch nations by 'CARING for Those Who Serve' and we are blessed to have her caring, servant heart on staff.

Linda Kosko | Team CARE

Linda grew up in a small town in western Washington and attended a small Free Methodist church where her aunt and uncle were very active. It was there that she first heard about having a personal relationship with Jesus. After graduating from high school, she moved and began attending a large non-denominational church. It was there that she learned about water baptism and was baptized on her 21st birthday. Not long afterward she decided to go to Bible college and study missions. During that time, she spent a summer in Kenya for her missions internship. She had hoped that after graduation she would be off to an overseas mission field, but that was not to be. She’s since been involved in her church, participating in prayer groups, mission committees, outreach teams, and evangelism. She’s come to realize that God has a mission field for her right here at home, as He leads. She has a daughter who lives nearby. Linda is currently working for the State and is looking forward to retirement so she can work with ServantCARE even more at that time.

Terry Burkett | Team CARE

Terry was born and raised in Oregon. She came to know and love Jesus through the bus ministry in the sixties. She met her husband, Gordan, when she left home at age sixteen and was attending his church. She married her husband, Gordon, in 1976 after college, but before graduate school. While in graduate school, they sponsored a Vietnamese family for three months, and this solidified their vision for missions. For over forty-one years of marriage they were blessed to host 68 Asian businessmen and students in their home, as well as going on two short-term mission trips to the Ukraine and one trip to Korea. They raised two sons, Scott and Red, during this time, and they have two grandchildren. After Gordon passed in September 2017 Terry moved to Washington and retired from her career as a teacher. She stays active in missions and women’s ministries. Recently, she embarked on new adventures and volunteered to be a nanny for a missionary family in Jordan for four months and she became part of the ServantCARE Team CARE.

Christina Morgan | CARE Pack Leader

CAREpack@servantcare.com

Christina is the mother of Jacob and Anna who host The Resting Place home for ServantCARE. She has been employed with Johnson Controls since 1991. Christina grew up in a Christian home and came to know the Lord at the early age of 6. Like most, true Godly leadership grew as she matured. Her two boys and daughter in laws really taught her the value of missions and a servant heart. Her other son, Jared, and his family are missionaries in North Africa. This fact and working with her home church as they minister and partner with missionaries, has grown her experience with best practices for accomplishing missionary care support. Christina has been married to her husband, David, since 1977, and they have 6 beautiful grandchildren. They love to camp and be outdoors admiring God’s creation.

Robin Parkes | CARE Pack and Debrief Team

Raised in the Birmingham, AL area, Robin grew up in a family that loved God and the church. She surrendered her life to Christ, accepting what Jesus did for her on the cross as a young child. She memorized John 3:16 as part of her church's AWANA program and after reciting the verse to her leader and discussing what it meant, she decided it was time to fully put her trust and hope in him. She attended The University of Alabama where she got a degree in Social Work before working for a mission organization for 6 years. She is married to Cory Parkes and they have a son, Asher, and a daughter, Ava. They currently live in Trussville, AL and enjoy leading small groups at their church. She is employed full-time as a home visitor to families with young children at United Ability. Robin has served on and led mission trips in Belize (3 times) and inner city missions in Memphis and Chicago.

Larry and Linda Tuggle | Ministry Expansion

larry.tuggle@servantcare.com  linda.tuggle@servantcare.com | 850-865-3630

Larry and Linda have served the Lord together since their marriage in 1980. Larry walked the aisle at age 12 in his hometown Baptist church, but came to a full commitment to the Lord shortly before meeting Linda. Although Linda was not raised in church, she came to know Jesus when her father lost his battle with lung cancer in 1977. Their early marriage was blessed with weekly opportunities to minister to foreign students. They have been Sunday School teachers over the years and teach the Financial Freedom course at their church. Over the years they have been involved in short-term missions to Scotland, Peru and Honduras. They are enjoying retirement which provides them time to visit their five daughters and twelve grandchildren in FL and GA, as well as bring their passion for missions and the Kingdom of God to the ministry of ServantCARE.

Jack Hollis | Ministry Expansion

Jack was saved as a child in the Christian church where he was raised, yet, it wasn't until his college days that he wanted to live for Jesus day by day and a full commitment was made. After meeting his wife Cheryl on a blind date they later married in 1983 and became actively involved together in their local church serving in many capacities. In recent years they have moved to North Georgia to be involved in the life of their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.. Presently they are involved in local body ministry and have also served as ServantCARE hosts and intercessors for a number of years prior to coming on staff with ServantCARE.

Darlene Cooper | Prayer Shield Coordinator

prayer@servantcare.com

Darlene was raised in a single parent home after her father was involved in a fatal accident when she was five. She attended church with her mother occasionally and walked the aisle at the age of 10 in a church she called home until she graduated high school. She didn't walk with God the following six years, then could no longer resist the woos of her Lord. She has been part of the family at Joy Fellowship since then. She met her husband there and they share three adult children. Darlene was given the gift of faith during her struggle with cancer. She now has a passion to declare the true and living word of God in prayer, to overcome all the power of the enemy, and to take back the victory of God's people. She serves as our Prayer Shield Coordinator. Email her your praises and requests at the address above.

Don and Beth Minikel | The Dwelling Place Hosts

beth.minikel@servantcare.com| 309-868-2309

Don and Beth met when they were 38 years old and were both on their journey of surrendering their lives to follow Jesus Christ. They were married at 41 and started hosting Bible studies, serving as greeters and youth group leaders. In 2006, while attending a mission convention, Abba spoke to Don’s heart about serving in foreign missions. On the way home, Don shared with Beth who said this was confirmation as she had been hearing also from Abba. Don believed their ministry was to come alongside a missionary. He said, “We have seen how much our pastors need volunteers, how much more would a missionary.” Don and Beth have served with a missionary to the dear people of Moldova from 2010-2020 through the national church and pastors. Abba has called this ministry in Moldova to completion, but He has opened the door for them to be with ServantCARE to continue serving pastors and missionaries, allowing them to rest. They consider it a beautiful honor. Don and Beth are blessed to be parents to Jared, who lives in Colorado and Lesita, a social worker to survivors of human trafficking in Madrid, Spain.

Dotty Varella | Financial Assistant

Dotty, raised in a Christian home, was the daughter of a Naval officer and lived in Guam, Alaska and London in her growing up years. She received Jesus as her Savior at age 12 and after walking without Him for many years, a personal tragedy caused her to make Him her All in All. Dotty is married to husband, Rodney, who pastors Son Light Fellowship. They have 5 children, 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Dotty oversees the church Food Bank program, leads worship at the church, and has served on a mission trip to Peru. She enjoys reading, quilting and hunting.

Bryan & Stacey Greer | Webmasters

Bryan and Stacey both met Jesus as children, and met each other in a church youth group. Married since 1994, they live in southern Minnesota, where Bryan works as an engineering manager. After her first career of homeschooling their 8 children, Stacey now runs a small business assisting independent seniors in their town. In their free time, they like to hike and bike together. Bryan likes to make sourdough breads and Stacey enjoys any opportunity to get together with established and new friends. In addition to being on ServantCARE staff, they are involved in their local church, and past board members of a small ministry in Guatemala. As they particularly enjoy hosting people for meals and overnight stays, Bryan and Stacey also offer their home as a ServantCARE host home.

Jim and Anne Bevis

Jim and Anne Bevis serve as Directors of Christians Seeking Renewal Ministries based in Florence, Alabama. CSR Ministries is an international, trans-denominational conference ministry. Jim serves as a city facilitator working among the approximately three hundred churches in the Muscle Shoals area of North Alabama.

As an ordained minister, Jim, and Anne, are presently spearheading two new divisions under the CSR ministry umbrella. They are (1) The Ministry of Encouragement, a ministry to pastors and other church leaders and (2) the Shoals Marketplace Ministry, an attempt to mobilize those working in the market place for the Kingdom of God. Jim is also the author of a book, I Love To Tell The Story.

Dave and Sheri Grissen

Dave and Sheri, parents of five children and eleven grandchildren have led a life of service. They worked overseas from 1974 until 2003, and lived in various locations for 20 of those years. They believe that today, missionaries deal with major uncertainties! As a result Dave and Sheri began in 2003 establishing hosted "Oasis Homes" around the world where missionaries, humanitarian aid workers, and Christian leaders can go for rest and personal ministry. Now, as founder and president emeritus of Life Impact, Dave Grissen was involved in Foreign Missions and Humanitarian Aid work for over 30 years, and lived in Europe and Central Asia for 20 of those. Dave strongly believes that only an intimate relationship with Jesus can remedy the personal and major issues facing people around the globe.

Margaret and Michael Parham

Mike and Margaret were born in South Carolina. Both were blessed to be saved at young ages, Michael at four and Margaret at eleven. They met while preparing for ministry at Tennessee Temple and married in 1969. Over the years they received additional training which included midwifery for Margaret and law for Michael. They have served together in ministry for many years (time with Operation Mobilization and Adventures in Missions), with another couple founded a church in Ellijay, Georgia, and have traveled together ministering to missionaries.

Two years after founding ServantCARE, Mike was led to return to the practice of law, and became the Circuit Public Defender for the Appalachian Judicial of Georgia. He has now retired. Margaret continues her ministry in midwifery. They have two sons, four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.