Rabbi Toms is the Real Deal

I’ll never forget one Labor Day morning years ago I got a call from a lady wanting to know if I had Mr. Smith (name is changed to protect the innocent) at the funeral home. I told the lady I did not. She quickly stated that he she was just checking because she had heard he was not expected to make it through the telethon. I hung up the phone and I was scratching my head wondering what in the world she was talking about. It dawned on me she was talking about the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It was not only a 24 hour telecast but it had become the pivotal gauge of how long someone might live. I was impressed.


But these days I think of someone else when Labor Day and the MDA Telethon shows up on television. For the past few years a local firefighter by the name of Randy Toms is one of the local celebrity television hosts who uses his gift of gab and passion for the cause to raise funds for this very worthy charity. I make it a point to watch a few of the segments when he is on just to watch him work. In fact last Sunday night my wife and I attended a gospel benefit for MDA held at our church sponsored by the Warner Robins Fire Department. Randy Toms was the Master of Ceremonies. He was funny and he was passionate. I really don’t know of anyone who could have done it better.

For the record Randy Toms (I call him Rabbi) was my Sunday School teacher for a couple of years. To be honest I’ve sat through and taught enough boring Sunday school classes to last me a lifetime. Sometimes those 45 minute classes can be brutal early on a Sunday morning. But every now and then you run into gifted teachers. Rabbi Toms is one of the gifted ones. The forty five minutes in his class felt like five minutes and the teacher was anything but boring.

Randy has other credentials. He punted way past his coverage on his wedding day and landed a gorgeous wife. Randy and Jane have two grown children and a daughter in law. They are a great looking family and it is very obvious they did something very right in raising their kids.

Randy is also the Chaplain of the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs and has recently founded a ministry called the “Georgia Public Safety Ministries, Inc.” Randy says that “public safety workers are always the first called in times of need but all too often the needs of the public safety workers go unmet. The emergency services (fire, EMS and law enforcement) consistently have the highest rate of divorce, suicide and substance abuse of any profession.”

Through his ministry, Randy is available to speak not only to fire departments and other emergency service groups around the state but also to churches and community groups. His desire is not only to help emergency workers in all facets of their lives but he also has a vision of helping churches and communities to “reach beyond what is normal and serve their public servants.”

If you live in middle Georgia make sure to watch for my friend on Channel 13 on Labor Day as he displays his gift of gab and his passion for MDA. And give to the cause. It is certainly a good one.

And while you are watching and have your check book out maybe you should write another check to GPS Ministries, Inc, 98 Ellice Ct. , Warner Robins, GA 31088. If you want to give back to the firefighters and emergency workers who risk their lives on a regular basis to save your life and property, here is your chance to dance. The money that goes to this ministry will be put to good use.

Or at least invite him to your church or community group to speak. But I should give you a word of warning: When he gets there you should be prepared to laugh. There is no telling what he will say. But you also should be prepared to be challenged.

Rabbi Toms is the real deal. And I have seen a few deals in my life.