TBT Missionaries

Dr. D. M. Hardison was born August 19, 1928 in Jamesville, North Carolina. His life began with tragedy as his mother died in childbirth. He entered the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, to begin studying law. In the providence of God, he became a preacher rather than a lawyer.

Dr. Hardison’s ministry has been long and varied. He began in tent evangelism in March of 1950 although he had preached a few times in his home church before that date. At the end of the summer Tabernacle Baptist Church of Suffolk, Virginia called him as their Pastor. Each summer for several years he would preach in the tent during the week-nights and on Sunday afternoon and still pastor the church.

During the years in evangelism Dr. Hardison has preached in hundreds of churches, largely in the eastern United States. His fifty-seven years of preaching have almost been equally divided between pastoring and evangelism. Dr. Hardison’s reputation as a man of God precedes him. In several churches he is scheduled every single year. One regularly scheduled meeting is a three week revival.  We are so blessed the Lord has lead them to continue as members of our TBT.

Evangelism is a work of faith. Dr. Hardison relates that he never asked a pastor to have him in for a revival. He has also never set a price to any church or pastor for his services.  He has solely prayed and trusted the Lord to open doors and to supply all of their needs. Dr. Hardison recounts (in reference to this), “I can say truthfully, He has never failed us one time.”

Mrs. Hardison has served as pianist, solo singer, and teacher in their Christian school. She also traveled with him for many years. Often she led family devotions when her husband was traveling and was a faithful help meet to her husband and homemaker for their three children.

Glenn desperately searched for a second chance, a clean slate. Running his own life, he had already brought his vessel to shipwreck at age 22. It wasn’t until his grandmother showed him John 3:16b for the first time that he believed and became part of that innumerable “whosoever!” A year later found him in a small Bible College in Virginia Beach, 600 miles from his native Massachusetts. Sitting under the ministry of Mr. Frank Sells taught him that his name was indeed eternally written down in glory! A burning desire to preach this glorious gospel to the whole world grew in his soul. This news was too good to keep to himself!

His “second missionary calling” also took place in that small classroom setting…he met and fell in love with one of his fellow students! Married in June of 1980, Glenn and Marci earnestly prayed that the Lord would show them through His Word exactly what foreign soil He would have them serve.

Meanwhile, Glenn was introduced to a ministry that reached out to international seamen that docked here in the Hampton Roads area. This ministry held a fascination to him and he felt certain the Lord would direct him to the exact field he was to serve through meeting these seamen daily from over 90 different countries of the world. The Lord did show both him and his wife where to serve through two different scriptures at two different times. Instead of “going,” the Lord was directing them to “stay.” The burden was finally lifted when they both said “yes” to ministering to the souls entering our area through the shipping ports.

Glenn absolutely loves what he is doing! A ministry specially tailored to his unique personality and gifts. The Lord has also chosen to bless Glenn and Marci with 10 cherished arrows for their quiver. God’s ways are above our ways and they are always the best ways!

Dr. Hawkins was the second pastor of Tidewater Baptist Temple. After their marriage in 1961, Pastor Hawkins had opportunity to pastor in Raleigh and Edenton, North Carolina; Tucker, Georgia; and finally here at  Tidewater Baptist Temple. He assumed the pastorate of TBT in September of 1977 when Dr. Hardison went into full-time evangelism again. Not long after the church moved from the 3400 Berkely Avenue to 1316 Campostella Rd. in its present location. The Lord blessed their ministry here for 27 years and for that we are eternally gratefully.

Since that time God has called them to retire from the pastorate but in no way to retire from ministering. Their heart is with Tidewater Baptist Temple. Pastor Pearson and the whole congregation were pleased when they decided to stay on as members. Dr. Hawkins joined with AFBM as a missionary. Now he travels representing the board at various churches, distributing literature and Bibles to servicemen overseas and at the veteran’s hospital. The Lord has also used them in a ministry of helps and to fill the pulpit for many churches.

His wife Linda Hawkins has always ministered beside her husband with the ladies, children and music ministries of this church. She has blessed many with her heart to quietly minister wherever she is needed. Often the first to arrive when a baby is born and always willing to stop her day to counsel a weary wife she has a special place in the hearts of the women at TBT.  She and pastor have also raised two lovely daughters.

Pastor Tim Drylie was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in November of 1954. He is the second of four sons; both his parents were school teachers. He has stated that he was first convicted of sin when he was four years old. This occurred when someone assured him that he would go to heaven because he was “a good little boy.” The pastor relates that he knew right then that he was in big trouble, because he knew that he was not good.

He first remembers receiving a clear presentation of the gospel when he was 15. This occurred when he found a “Chick Tract” that someone had left in the boys’ room of the public high school. When he read it, he knew that he needed Christ. However, there was a problem — repentance. He was already living deep in sin, and did not want to give it up. The next twelve years were a tremendous struggle between the desire to have Christ, and the desire to live in sin. He finally surrendered to the Lord on Easter Sunday of 1982. As he states it, this doesn’t mean he started living a perfect life, but he trusted Christ, and surrendered to live by faith in Him.

The pastor had been in the Navy for nine years at that time, having enlisted right after high school. It was in the sixth year of his career that he requested to be assigned to Seal Training. In September of 1979, he graduated as the honor man of BUD/S Class 104, (Basic Underwater Demolition Seal), and served the remaining 14 years as a Seal.

After retiring from the Navy in August of 1993, he finished paramedic training, and worked at night providing 911-service in the city of Portsmouth, VA. At the same time he used his G. I. Bill benefits to attend Bible college during the day. The pastor graduated from Tabernacle Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary, in June of 2000 with a B.R.E., (Bachelors in Religious Education.) He has continued working towards a Doctorate, while serving as a missionary overseas.

Pastor Drylie is a member of Armed Forces Baptist Mission, (AFBM), which is a ministry of Good News Baptist Church, located in Chesapeake, VA. The majority of the members of AFBM are retired military officers and NCO’s. His home church is Tidewater Baptist Temple also located in Chesapeake. In this capacity, he has worked in Petropovlosk and Magadan in Fareast Russia, as well as Heidelberg, Germany, and the Caribbean. He is currently serving as the Pastor of Vicenza Baptist Church in Italy. While in Italy he met his beautiful wife Isabella who is Italian. She blessed him exceedingly by marrying him in 2008.

Isabella was raised in Italy as a Roman Catholic. However, when she was about twelve years old she lost confidence in the church and began to look for her own answers. When twenty-five her older brother Davide was living in the States and got saved. She and her sister went to visit him to see if he was all right. When she met the people in his church she was sure she had them all figured out. Her studies at university convinced her that they were all weak-minded people who needed religion to give meaning to their lives.

However, over the next one and a half years things began to happen which showed her she didn’t have as much control over my life as she had thought. She began to be convicted about her sins; about the truth of the gospel; about her condemnation and need for a Savior. Then she cried out to God to help her and to make Him known to her in a real and personal way. She asked for Jesus to enter into her heart and He did. In Jeremiah 29:13 God promises, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Isabella relates, “He has been faithful to keep this promise and to make it real in my life.”