“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

— Matthew 25:23

Name a place in Vicksburg that could host such a service. Name a place large enough in Vicksburg with the number of seats needed and the overall atmosphere that could accommodate such an event.

If such things were truly important to Tina Hayward’s family, there would be some concern about finding such a place for her yet to be announced funeral or memorial services.

Friday, Vicksburg lost someone in Hayward, the founder and director of Mountain of Faith Ministries, who was a cornerstone of the community. She died of a heart attack, but there was nothing wrong with the heart of this woman of God.

For years, she had dedicated to help as many she could, focusing on the needs of the homeless, primarily the women in our community in the most need.

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

— John Wesley

To each person she met, to each person and family she helped, Hayward left a lasting impression. The lives she changed through her ministry are her legacy and that is reason — for whenever services are scheduled — that we should come to celebrate her life, rather than mourn the loss.

The hole that has been left in our hearts and in our community by her death will be hard to fill, but she showed us an example that we should, and must emulate.

Hayward will be missed by her friends and her family, but we can feel comfort in knowing that she is home, she is restored and when she arrived she was welcomed with ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!”