The Lighthouse Church and Ministries (TLHC) announced April 4th that Pastor Demond Hammond, campus pastor of Lighthouse West, would receive the President’s Call to Service Award at a gala in Houston on April 7. At the gala, Hammond received a medal, certificate, and letter from President Joe Biden to commemorate his award and service.

Formerly known as the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, this honor is awarded to individuals once they have completed 4,000 hours of community service in their lifetime. The Call to Service Award is the highest level of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, created in 2003 by President George W. Bush.

“I am extremely happy for Pastor Hammond to receive this prestigious honor,” said Keion Henderson, Founder and Senior Pastor of The Lighthouse Church and Ministries. “Pastor Hammond is a wonderful man of God, and this award is a reflection of his kind heart and commitment to the people of our community. This is a well-deserved recognition of the countless lives that he impacts every day.”

By the authority of President Joe Biden, AmeriCorps and the Points of Light Foundation oversee the President’s Volunteer Service Award program, and all volunteer hours must be independently verified by a Certified Organization registered with AmeriCorps.

A member of TLHC’s congregation nominated Hammond for the award with a letter documenting the broad impact of his humanitarian work in Houston since moving to the region in 2013.

“My heart and joy are community-based,” Hammond said. “I am the happiest as a servant to others in the Lord’s name. It is very humbling to receive this honor, and I am blessed to be able to serve my community through my faith.”

Under the tutelage of his stepfather, who ministered at their hometown church in Virginia, Hammond began teaching Sunday School at 12 years old and became a licensed minister when he was 14. Hammond was ordained into the church at age 18, just one week before he married his wife, Marcia.

After moving to Houston in 2013, Hammond established a small church in Katy. Through his ministry, he connected with Pastor Henderson, and the two quickly formed a friendship built on their faith and passion for community stewardship through God’s word.

As TLHC began to rapidly grow, Pastor Henderson asked Hammond to lead the Church’s second satellite campus. The West Campus opened in March 2020; however, restrictions on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic went into effect just one week after the first service.

Although TLHC remained open virtually for members, Hammond always longed to return to in-person ministry and worship. In March 2022, TLHC moved the West Campus to its current location at 16219

Clay Road in the Bear Creek area. Now, Hammond ministers to more than 200 people during in-person Sunday services at the campus in addition to serving with Pastor Henderson at the main TLHC campus.