Yesterday, I learned of the well-earned retirement of Mr. Mayce Webber as Chairman of the Deacon Board at Rosedale Park Baptist Church. And immediately, a flood of gratitude came rushing in.

If you know me, you know how much I love salmon. Like that determined fish, you have supported my swimming against the current —pressing upstream to create a first-class, Christ-centered, Black church-based youth ministry right in one of Detroit’s toughest neighborhoods. Looking back, I realize the vision I carried wasn’t always crystal-clear to you, or to most of the congregation and leadership. But you were steady, wise, and faithful—choosing to encourage and support me anyway, even when the path was hard to see.

Mr. Webber, you carved out space for our young people to dream big and thrive. Because of your unwavering “yes,” the Student Ministries Department (SMD) set a standard of excellence that rippled far beyond Detroit’s Black church community. I still remember the day we invited you into our little office down the street. Donnell Harlin and the team, along with me, shared our wild vision for youth outreach. Your face held the mystery of uncertainty, yet the words that leapt from your mouth—“You have my full support!”—ignited something powerful in us. Those words fueled our courage.

And we went to work. With your blessing, we did what once seemed impossible:

• Built a Habitat for Humanity home from the ground up—the first youth group in the organization’s global history to lead such a project—partnering with Comerica Bank.
• Adopted three neighborhood schools, forging genuine relationships with Vetal Elementary & Middle, Redford High, and Mann Elementary School.
• Helped families move from homelessness to homeownership, with several of those households now boasting college graduates in every room.
• Created a school-based program designed for underachieving elementary students that ultimately moved several students to Vetal’s 4.0 Club. Rosedale High School and college students developed the program and curriculum for  Super Kids. It created a hands-on and active learning environment as an after-school program.
• Built three homes in Matamoros, Mexico; remodeled an orphanage in Jamaica; and hosted vibrant Vacation Bible Schools in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and in Detroit.
• Launched countless Five-Day Backyard Bible Studies with a curriculum our own youth designed.
• Advocated for Operation Sunrise, ultimately helping send more than 300 Black college students—including Rosedale youth—to serve in Southeast Africa, and Rosedale’s students in  Ethiopia.
• Leading thousands to Christ either directly or indirectly through our partnerships, affiliations, or SMD.

These achievements matter—but what mattered most was knowing, deep down, that you had our backs. When our spirits sagged and our human batteries ran low, your words of encouragement lifted us.

On a personal note, your ministry of presence still humbles me. You sat with my brother through every one of my surgeries and hospital stays. I will never forget waking from recovery and hearing the very first voice—it was yours.

And, Mr. Chairman, you never missed an opportunity to exalt the name of Jesus. Whether holding the mic on Sunday or speaking quietly to one soul, you kept Christ at the center, always.

Your children—Chris, Jeffrey, Jason, David, and Rachel—are stars in their own right. But to me, you are a SUPERHERO.

Thank you, Mr. Webber, for showing us what steadfast faith, quiet strength, and joyful service look like. May God bless this new chapter as richly as you have blessed all of ours.