Scott Allen	Bennie Nelson	Clay and Dee Davis	Mike and Debbie White	Billy Diggs

Clay and Dee Davis

The term "one in a million" best describes the profoundly anointed lives and ministry of Pastors Clay and Dee Davis, our recipients of this issue's Heroes of the faith honors. In an age where we are seeing an ever increasing shift away from God's biblical example for the Pastoral ministry it is so refreshing to know these wonderfully successful shepherds of God's flock. With almost thirty years in the ministry, they have effectively reached thousands with the love of Christ. Their compassion and selfless sacrifices toward everyone that God has placed in their path has literally been second to none. I know, because I am one of those people.

In 1979 I was on tour as a member of the British Christian rock group The Alwyn Wall Band. As we would travel from city to city, I had the privilege of meeting and working with many great Pastors. As our tour began drawing to a close I found myself desiring more of a relationship with a good Church family. Having visited the Davis' Church a year or so before I knew in my heart that this was the place that I would one day like to call home. After being able to watch so many precious Pastors in action it was becoming increasingly clear to me that the Davis' were anointed in an extra special way. They truly loved people! On New Years Eve of 1979, just after our tour had ended, I called Pastor Clay and shared my heart with him concerning my becoming a member of their church and how I felt God was leading me in that direction. As we talked, Pastor Clay, with all the love of a Papa simply said to me, "Brother Keith, come on home!" At that I packed my things, gassed up the car and drove seven hours to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where they pastored a vibrant and steadily growing congregation. I would soon learn that the conversation we had on that New Years Eve would eventually alter my life forever in a profound way.

Even though the majority of the Davis' ministry has been in the eastern part of the country they actually both got their start in the West. Pastor Clay was born in Livingston, Montana and was raised working on his family's ranch while Sister Dee was born in Spokane, Washington and worked during her high school years with Civil Defense. Pastor Clay went on to join the Air Force in 1951 taking Aircraft and engine school at the University of Southern California. After being on a ground crew for B-29's in Denver, he transferred to Chanute AFB in Illinois where he taught prop engines on B-29's and B-50's. He then went on to teach jet engines on B-36's and B-52's. During his tours he attended The University of Southern California, University of Illinois, San Jose State, Wake Forest University and the Air Force Institute.

Clay met Dee "Oslund" in Spokane, Washington in 1953 while their families where vacationing at an area lake resort. This is where it really gets good! The way they met is probably one of the most unique hookups that I've ever heard. While Clay was enjoying a swim one day he began to cramp up and started to drown. Dee at the time was sunbathing on the dock and noticed this young man having trouble. When she realized that he was actually drowning, she then jumped into a nearby boat and made her way out to where she saw him go under. She then dove in the water, located him, grabbed him by his hair and pulled him to safety. She literally saved his life that day. What a catch! Little did they know that the events of that day were not only a divine appointment but would also mark the beginning of a long and wonderful relationship. They were married in September 1954 and haven't looked back since. Clay left the Air force in 1961 to go to work for IBM in Atlanta, Georgia. There he would eventually be promoted to Field Manager and relocate to Norfolk, Virginia.

While in the area they became very involved in ministry, primarily with the construction program at the Rock Church of Virginia Beach. In 1977 after the obvious leading of the Holy Spirit, Clay resigned his position with IBM and went to work at the church on a full time basis as the ministry's Business Manager. Sister Dee had been with Virginia National Bank and soon resigned her position there to start and manage the church's new bookstore. She soon became just as, if not more so, involved with speaking prophetically into the lives of the store's patrons.

Recognizing God's obvious touch on both of their lives their Pastor, John Geminez approached them about becoming the Pastors of the churches first satellite fellowship. Toward the end of 1977 they moved to Colington, North Carolina where they would go on to accomplish an amazing number of feats. In the four years they were there they started an accredited Bible Institute, a Christian Academy (K-4 through 12th grade), a wonderfully successful clothing and food distribution ministry, built a beautiful new worship center complete with offices and classrooms, a parsonage and the list goes on. If that was not enough, they did all of these things without going into debt.

Although, as great as these accomplishments were, they can't begin to be compared to the hundreds of lives that God was able to profoundly save and raise up through their ministry. Sister Dee while being deeply involved with every aspect of their work also found the time to counsel folks on a regular basis, head up the hospitality ministry, serve as the church's secretary and be a model wife and mother of four very active children.

As a matter of fact, the first big miracle that I had ever witnessed was after a Sunday morning service at their home. As was Sister Dee's custom, she would sometimes invite a large number of people into their home after church on Sundays for lunch. On this particular afternoon as we had arrived at their home I made my way into the kitchen to offer my assistance. Without hesitation Sister Dee handed me a bowl of vegetables and ask if I would help with setting the table. As I looked at the food that she had prepared and then glanced in the dinning room at the number of people that she had invited I couldn't help but notice the fact that we had a five loaves and two fishes situation on our hands. As Sister Dee began serving what was obviously not enough food for everyone, I began to notice something remarkable. Not only did everyone wind up with plenty of food on their plates but each of us left that afternoon with full tummys and noticing as well that there was plenty left over. Everyone not only left the Davis' home that day with their fill but thoroughly amazed as well at what they saw God do through these precious saints. The more that I have had the privilege of walking with these wonderful servants the more obvious that it has become that these kinds of things are pretty much common place in and through their lives on a regular basis.

From 1982-1985 Pastor Clay and Dee founded Proclaim Christian Center and Heaven home for girls in Winston Salem, North Carolina. While in Winston Salem, Pastor Clay served on the Governor's task force to rewrite the maternity laws for NC. The home for unwed pregnant girls went on to do great things in the lives of a lot of young women! Under their loving supervision, at last count, 35 beautiful babies were brought into the world through the home.

As a result of all of their endless sacrifices their ministry in Winston-Salem has produced many young men and woman that are serving in both part and full time ministry today. Their time there has left a Godly heritage in the lives of many people. Pastor Clay would later go on to enact vital guidelines for the "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" in both North Carolina and Virginia that have vastly improved the way they operate. What a bountiful harvest!

In the summer of 1985 Pastor Clay and Sister Dee were asked by their Pastor, Arlie Whitlow to come and be a part of his new church plant in Sterling, Virginia. Pastor Clay and Dee then turned the Winston-Salem work over to Pastors Phil & Cathy Dowdy, moved to Sterling, rolled up their sleeves and went right to work. Their dedication and expertise played a key role in the Church's reaching and even exceeding its goals in much less time that ever expected. Once again God flowed through them to impact countless lives. From those tremendously effective years in Sterling right through to the present these humble servants continue to touch so many. Despite both of their recently mounding physical challenges they never cease to gird themselves with the towel and serve whomever God brings their way.

Pastors Clay & Dee Davis, although retired from full-time pastoral ministry, now reside in the northern Virginia area where they are close to two of their four children. They regularly have the opportunity to mentor young Pastors and other Church leaders and are in the process of putting together a new teaching series that should be available sometime this summer. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please send your name and address to: Pastors Clay & Dee Davis Post Office Box 97 Goldvein, Virginia 22720. Also, if you would like to sow seed into the fertile soil of their lives simply make your gifts payable to Toward the Mark and write "The Davis'" in the memo field of your check. Your gift will be tremendously appreciated and totally tax deductible! You can also e-mail them at: ClayandDee@yahoo.com. Any contact that you can have with these precious servants of God will richly bless your life in a profoundly wonderful way! Would that the Church of Jesus Christ have more pastors like Clay & Dee Davis!!