Pastor John Grayson said he would pray for whoever nominated him for the Selma Chapter of the Links, Incorporated’s Distinguished Citizen Award.

Grayson, the pastor of Gospel Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, was presented the annual award during the Links’ Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast.

“Wow. Wow is real. Thank you for the poor soul that selected or even nominated me for Citizen of the Year. Whoever they are, I pray hard for them,” Grayson said to a room full of people at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

Grayson said he was honored to receive the award and challenged those in attendance to serve others.

“I am honestly honored and so thankful to be here,” Grayson said. “The greatest opportunity I’ve ever had … is to serve you guys. To serve your fellow man is the greatest thing anybody can do. I think that’s the best way to be Christ-like — to serve your neighbor.”

Grayson was introduced by Links member and School of Discovery principal Cicely Curtis. In her introduction, Curtis described Grayson’s work with the church and in the community as a pastor, businessman, mentor, advisor, coach, counselor, teacher and entrepreneur.

In addition to leading Gospel Tabernacle, Grayson is also pastor of Faith Temple Church in Pine Apple. He is on several boards and committees, including the Selma Housing Authority.

He and his wife CeCe Grayson reopened the Walton Theater in 2015 through the All Things Are Possible (ATAP) Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that also awards scholarships to local students.

Curtis told Grayson that despite worshipping at Gospel Tabernacle she had nothing to do with the award.

“The night this particular award was voted for … I was not at that meeting,” Curtis said. “I was not present, but it would have been without reservation — my pastor would have gotten my vote.”

In addition to the Distinguished Citizen Award, donations were presented to the BOSCO Nutrition Center and Selma City Schools.

Scholarships were also awarded to three local students now in college: LeKeybriana Allen from Keith High School and the University of South Alabama; Shaqueria Dial from Southside High School and the University of Alabama; and Janice Jackson from Selma High School and Alabama State University.

Jackson was present for Monday’s breakfast and thanked the Links for the scholarship and talked about her plans to work in sports medicine.

“With the head of my life being God, I know anything is possible. In my 19 years of life, God has blessed me in many ways,” Jackson said.

Pastor Matthew Klimis from Living Waters Worship Center in Valley Grande was the program’s keynote speaker.

He spoke about overcoming adversity and advised anyone going through hard times to “learn to say what’s next, not why me,” to “let your problems bless you” and to remember that “it’s not over.” “Can you imagine Martin Luther King saying why as he is sitting at a table there in his kitchen … Aren’t you glad he took the next step, got up the next morning, put on his clothes and went out and did what he did?” Klimis said.

The Unity Breakfast celebrated its 24th year Monday. Chairwoman for this year’s breakfast was Evelyn Evans, while Patricia Robinson and Curtis were co-chairs. Charlotte Griffith is the current Selma Links president.