Arnold Ramage joined the IBSA staff as State Director of Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief in January. He will organize the work of volunteer teams on callouts, along with current Assistant State Directors Harold Booze, Dennis Felix, and John Lindeman. “Serving as director affords me the opportunity to share my enthusiasm and desire to help survivors during the worst days of their lives,” he said.
Ramage has served as DR chaplain and leads training for new DR workers. Ramage and his wife, Paula, have served in DR since their first callout when Hurricane Harvey hit East Texas in 2017.
“Disaster Relief volunteers are often asked why we wear yellow shirts from doorstep to doorstep, meaning from the time we leave home until we return,” Ramage said. “On our most recent callout to Port Charlotte, Florida, our team stopped at a Love’s Truck Stop for fuel and refreshments. Upon exiting our van, I noticed one of our volunteers in conversation with a lady. They were praying.
“After the lady returned to her car, our volunteer said the lady asked to pray for our team. If we had not worn yellow, this opportunity to witness our faith would not have existed.”
Retired from business leadership, Ramage is a member of Second Baptist Church of Marion.