Thank You, Tom

Before writing an article or blog, I will frequently pray. I ask God to quiet my mind and still my heart. I ask him to flow through my writing, that he might be glorified, and that I might say what he would want me to say.  

As I prepared to write this post, I did just that. But this time it felt different. It felt different because I wanted to ensure that I honored a dear friend in my writing. I wanted to be able to explain to readers how this friend changed my life. How this friend of mine understood the struggles I face as a special needs parent and often encourages me. I prayed that I would be able to express how this man is not just a great leader but an even better friend. So, I hope that I am able to do just that as you read about my friend, Tom Stolle.  

I met Tom several years ago through the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware. I knew he had a son named Jimmy with autism, and I knew he cared about disabilities. However, I didn’t know how greatly it impacted him until I heard him speak at a conference. Although he wasn’t a pastor, the man knew how to preach! I left amazed that there were other people in the world that cared about Jesus and people with disabilities. These are my people I thought after leaving the conference.  

Tom’s and my paths would randomly intersect throughout the next few years until I began working for The Banquet Network. It was then that I began to call Tom my friend. He was the guy my husband and I could be real with when we had a rough day with our son. When we searched for a different diagnosis or when we had stressful IEP meetings, Tom would pray for us. He would call to check in on us, and before hanging up would always ask, “Hey can I pray now?” He was the friend I could text, “We’re going to the hospital”, and he would know exactly what that meant every time, no questions asked.  

While Tom may have had to step away from The Banquet Network in his role as Executive Director, he certainly won’t be stepping away in his role as my friend. Just as he would ask me, “Hey can I pray now?” I ask that you do that for him. Pray for him, his wife Shelley, and his precious son Jimmy. Pray for them as they navigate this next season in their life as Jimmy becomes an adult and ages out of the public-school system.  

The Banquet Network staff are sad to see him go, but are thankful for his hard work and dedication to the mission of reaching people with disabilities. We love him and his family and are excited to see what God is going to do next through them. While parenting a child with a disability is challenging, we know that Tom wouldn’t change it for the world. He has seen God do mighty things through his son and, although Jimmy is nonverbal, he has spoken to the hearts of many, including mine. Thank you, Tom, for all that you accomplished during your time as Executive Director at The Banquet Network and thank you for being my friend. 

Katie Matthews, Interim Executive Director

Katie Matthews has been selected to serve as our Interim Executive Director while The Banquet Network prayerfully considers a new Executive Director. If you would like to contact Katie, you can email her at katie@thebanquetnetwork.com.