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

Babik Family Roger is a 1979 Graduate of Milligan College. He willingly 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. In addition, he is an excellent motivational speaker and is available to preach or talk to various groups. Roger focuses on speaking, writing, relationship building, evaluating ministry growth opportunities and leading foreign mission trips. He also directs a lot of large 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 with a 1/3/09 planned wedding date)

Tom Pendergrass

Pendergrass Tom serves part-time with MP after working in a full-time capacity from 1999-2007. He is our ministry Prayer Coordinator and provides valuable administrative support services to the entire staff! Tom graduated from Pacific Christian College (now Hope I nternational University) in 1956. Tom served churches in the western U.S. and was lured east of the Mississippi in April, 1999, to join 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 Smelser Jim is our Director of Operations. He entered service full-time with MASTER Provisions in December, 1999. Jim is a 1980 graduate of Cincinnati Bible College. He wooed Tammie Paul, soprano extraodinaire and became father of 3 daughters: Ariel, Anna, and Michal. Jim 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

Don Davisson 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 handles our documentation services for all of the containers handled by MP each year. 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 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 welcomed Will to the world in April of 2006. Baby Parker #2 is scheduled to arrive in June 2008. JJ and Lucia call Northern Kentucky "home" since returning from the mission field. Lucia manages MP's bookkeeping and correspondence on a part-time basis. She loves scrapbooking and JJ enjoys golf and skilled carpentry/ceramics work. (Contact Info)

Dave Mayer

Dave Mayer Dave joined the team of MASTER Provisions in January of 2003 and serves as a Support Specialist and Regional Operations Manager. Dave graduated from Milligan (TN) College and regularly puts his mechanical skills to work to keep our "aging" fleet of vehicles in tip-top shape. Dave also publishes our Clothes-Minded newsletter and spends some time behind the wheel of "big rigs" to haul containers for MP. Dave and his bride, Julie, were blessed with child number one, Lydia, in September of '04. Anna joined ranks in February 2006 and Little Dave made his cameo appearance in June of 2007. The Mayers serve at Stringtown Christian Church, just outside of Cynthiana, KY and reside in Williamstown. (Contact Info)

Jacob Parker

Jacob Parker Jake, or Big Daddy, serves as a volunteer assistant. Since September of 2004, Jake helps us regularly with clothes pickups, 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. His amazing life story is detailed in Chapter 9 of Call Against The Will. (Contact Info)