John Grayson named Selma Rotary Club's 2026 Citizen of the Year

Selma pastor and community advocate John Grayson was honored by the Selma Rotary Club on Monday as the 2026 Citizen of the Year.

Grayson, who pastors Gospel Tabernacle Church, helps the community in a variety of ways through education programs, summer camps, disaster relief efforts, food giveaways, a homeless shelter and the operation of the Walton Theater.

Grayson is the Rotary Club of Selma's 31st Citizen of the Year, an honor recognizing someone who loves Selma and demonstrates that commitment through service to the community in the spirit of Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self."

Previous honorees attended Monday's meeting at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church to celebrate the newest recipient, including John Crear, Randall Miller, Josh Wilkerson, Leith Wilson, Martha Lockett and Jamie Wallace, the organization's first Citizen of the Year honoree, who is now 90 years old.

A visibly surprised and emotional Grayson said he had no idea the honor was coming.

"I came for the free food," he joked as he looked around the room and saw family members, church members and community leaders gathered to celebrate him. "I had no idea. This absolutely blew me away."

Attendees included Grayson’s wife CeCe, and his sister Jane Coleman and brother, Terry, who said he has always been an encourager and hard worker and cared about other people. 

“If ever feel down or like I’m not enough, I can always call on him to encourage me,” Terry Grayson said. “It’s just part of his nature and upbringing.”

Grayson said he has never viewed his work as something deserving of special recognition.

"The Lord calls all of us to do the thing that's right," he said. "We should be steeped in doing the thing that's right and not look for any thank you, any praise, because it's just the right thing to do."

He credited Rotary for its own commitment to community service and said he was humbled to join the list of past recipients.

"We got some people in this room that are honorable people and deserve much more gratitude than I do," Grayson said. "I am absolutely honored."

Much of Grayson's acceptance remarks focused on the community's response to the devastating January 2023 tornado that struck Selma. He recalled being stranded in the Orlando airport when the storm hit and receiving a frantic phone call from a young girl whose home had lost its roof while she and a neighborhood baby were still inside.

Unable to return home immediately, Grayson said members of his church stepped in to help.

"One of those gentlemen got through all the debris to get to her and get her to a place of safety," he said.

The day after returning to Selma, Grayson and his church opened a storm recovery center that became a hub for local, state and national relief efforts. Grayson was given the Phoenix award from the SBA for his efforts.

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He said the disaster revealed the strength of Selma's people and the importance of working together.

"The storm brought us closer together," Grayson said. "After that, you saw people working together that had never worked together before. It taught me the power of partnership."

Organizations ranging from local churches to the Mennonites, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, FEMA and the Small Business Administration joined forces to help residents recover.

"This community belongs to all of us," he said. "There's not one person, one church, one group that's going to save Selma. It's all of us working together. It's us joining hands, locking arms together."

Grayson also used the opportunity to praise Selma, a city that has often been defined nationally by its civil rights struggles.

"Selma is known all over the country for its racial differences back from the '60s, but the fact is Selma is a great place," he said. "This is a great place to live. It's a great place to raise a family. It's a great place to have a business."

He said one of the city's greatest strengths is its ability to unite during difficult times.

"People in Selma know how to pull together when things go wrong, and I want Selma to always remain that way," Grayson said. "I love this city. I love the people of Selma."

Grayson and his wife moved to Selma from the small community of Thomasville years ago. He thanked the city for embracing their family and supporting the ministries and programs they have built over the years.

Many of those efforts began with modest resources, including a summer camp that started with just 15 children in a small building on Lawrence Street.

"We started summer camp with 15 kids in a little small storage building, hot, with some crackers and cookies or whatever we could afford to get," Grayson said. "That 15 kids has grown to a hundred and something today."

He credited local businesses, churches and residents for helping those programs grow.

"Many of you in this room have helped us do the things that we've done," Grayson said. "I appreciate it so much. I love you guys."

Grayson added that the award reflected the collective efforts of countless volunteers, donors and community partners rather than any one individual.

"No one person deserves that much credit," he said. "It's all of us working together."