If angels walk among us, Gladys Williams is one of them.

The longtime director of the Culpeper Senior Nutrition Center earned the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor at its 97th Annual Meeting and Banquet Thursday night.

Williams is the 2011 recipient of the L.B. Henretty Memorial Outstanding Citizen Award.

Dressed in a denim vest and sneakers, the always youthful, always smiling community servant wiped her eyes as she approached the stage at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Technology Center.

“Johnny and I are not usually at a loss for words,” said Williams of her partner in accepting the award before hundreds of community leaders. “All I can say is thank you so much, and I truly appreciate it.”

For nearly 30 years, she has dedicated her life to serving local seniors at the nutrition site, a program of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services Board. Williams loves everybody and lets them know it. But she also shows it. Williams volunteers at church and with the Salem Ruritan Club, and has been described by her seniors as, “One in a million.” To be around Williams is akin to sitting in a ray of sunshine.

A few years ago, Culpeper County Government named Williams among its honorary Culpeper Colonels and she’s also won the town’s Spirit Award.

Last year’s L.B. Henretty Award winner, Chuck Gyory, in his introduction, bestowed another honorary designation upon her.

“She’s been rightly called Culpeper’s Mother Teresa,” he said. “She has worked tirelessly to support nutritional health and the mental and physical well-being of local seniors.”

Gyory said Williams was the perfect example of what the award was all about: Service and assistance to individuals or groups.

“The primary consideration should be effectiveness of service and leadership,” he said.

Williams received a standing ovation as she got up from her chair in the back of the large room to accept the acknowledgement.

Earlier in the evening, the chamber welcomed its 2012 chairperson, Raven Yates. A Culpeper native and lifelong resident, Yates said she was humbled and honored to serve in the role, helping to lead a chamber of commerce that’s been around for 97 years and now has 520 members.

She encouraged those in attendance to take business matters into their own hands.

“We are the economy,” Yates said. “We need to stop waiting for the economy to turn. We need to turn our economy.”

That happens locally through partnerships, organized programs and support, all of which was evident at Thursday’s chamber event.

2011 Culpeper Chamber of Commerce award winners

• Gladys Williams: L.B. Henretty Memorial Outstanding Citizen Award
• Business of the Year: Integrity Automotive, 902 S. Main St.
• Nonprofit of the Year: Piedmont United Way, 118 E. Piedmont St.
• Small Business Person of the Year: Chris Pearson of Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C., 1100 Sunset Lane
• Most Improved Business Location: The Copper Fish, 140 E. Davis St.
• Young Professional of the Year: Jonathan Krawchuk, Culpeper Media Network, 105 N. Main St.

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Source: Culpeper’s Mother Teresa, Culpeper Star Exponent
By: Allison Brophy Champion
Published: November 18, 2011

Wow Paula!

Thank you for your inspirational email. Thank you for leading this prayer movement for the past 9 months.

It’s amazing that you sent your email this morning and I saw it because I wasn’t planning to check emails today. Yesterday evening after sending the Pray Culpeper email and doing a corresponding blog post, you were the one pastor who came to my mind and considered calling you to invite you to Pray Culpeper. I know you are a woman after God’s own heart and “give yourself continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).

I miss seeing you at the monthly Culpeper Ministerial Association meetings from 8-9:30 am on the third Tuesday of each month. Whenever I ride by your home on my bicycle, I think about you and pray for blessings for you, your family, your church, and your ministry.

Blessings to experience God in extraordinary ways for extraordinary fruit!

Joseph

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From: Paula K Jones
Date: Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 9:57 AM
Subject: Wed prayer
To: Joseph Peck

Hi Joseph,

I wanted to tell you that NBWC [New Beginnings Worship Center] has been meeting for prayer at 1pm every Wednesday for the last 9 months. We begin with streaming prayer with Billye Brim (billyebrim.org) at 1:00, praying for a Great Awakening. The Lord had spoken last November that no man could save America, only and awakening to God. Millions around the world are praying together at this time for our nation, & nations around the world. That usually ends about 2:15 p.m. and then we continue for a couple of more hours as the Holy Spirit leads us. We often take a break about 4:30 until 6:30 to eat, take care of things, etc. (some stay & sit quietly with music playing) and then we start again, sometimes watching a dvd teaching on prayer or giving scripture, then more prayer. It is a day set aside for assembling ourselves & joining our supply of the Spirit of God for united prayer. Anyone is welcome.

I have desired to come on Wednesdays to join with you at noon, but have been preparing for prayer here at that time. We do pray for a glorious awakening in Culpeper, the churches, the plan of God, the saints…soon several of us will join you at noon, then just leave a little early. Be blessed in all you do. What a privilege it is that God chose us to live on earth at this time!

Shalom,
Pastor Paula

Dear [first name],

When we officially stopped the weekly Pray Culpeper gatherings in the summer of 2007 after meeting consistently for two years, I asked the LORD to have at least three pastors commit to come together to pray weekly.

Well, yesterday (Nov 4) at our Pray Culpeper gathering, we had three pastors for the first time in several years. I’d like to say a special thank you to pastors Baker Rigg, Brad Hales, and GW Dameron for coming and for your commitment to praying with others for Jesus to be LORD of Culpeper.

“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

I’d also like to say thank you to Virginia Morton and Dewey McDonnell for coming and for your faithful support of Pray Culpeper over the past four years. You both have been such an encouragement to me.

We were also blessed yesterday with the presence and prayers of Sheran Rigg, Baker’s wife. Sheran normally works on Wednesdays, but happened to be off yesterday. Sheran and Baker have seven children, all of whom were homeschooled by Sheran. Baker and Sheran are hosting a weekly community prayer gathering on Monday evenings starting at 7 pm at Church on the Rise (1136 Sperryville Pike, Culpeper, VA 22701). I have found that very rewarding. If you’re available, you’re invited to come to that.

Another breakthrough happened yesterday. Dewey hung our large Pray Culpeper banner for the very first time outside of Reformation Luther Church facing Main Street for several hours before, during, and after we prayed. By doing that, everyone driving down Main Street could see God’s call for people to pray. Thank you Dewey.

One last thing. I just received an email from Chauncey Hutter, Jr this afternoon announcing “Awake! Arise!” in Charlottesville, VA on Sat Nov 21. This is a one-day retreat of worship, prayer and practical teaching on drawing close to the presence of the Lord and encountering Jesus in a way which awakens the soul! I definitely plan to come. If you’d like to learn more, see http://bit.ly/3gOFix

Hope to see you soon!

Blessings to pray, pray, pray!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
THE CONNECTOR and The Journal Guy

P.S. If are interested in Joining our World-Wide Prayer Community, please subscribe to the Pray Culpeper blog at http://prayculpeper.org. We are now posting regularly to share what’s happening locally and regionally regarding prayer and transformation. You also will be exposed to special opportunities to invest in yourself and the Kingdom of God. Be sure to let your friends know too. Thanks.