Founders
Rick Wagner has personally experienced the chains of alcoholism and the effects of drugs on children and families and now has big heart after God. Sharon’s background includes a 15-year addiction to cocaine which she overcame in 1987 with the love of God and the discipline of Teen Challenge. While at the Walter Hoving Home in New York, Sharon received a vision to provide a home for women – a place of safety and healing. For many years, Rick has had a vision to birth a City of Refuge in Lakeland Georgia to see men and their families healed and set free from addiction. In 2005, out of a passion to bring healing and freedom to women struggling with alcohol, drugs and abuse, Rick and Sharon founded South Georgia House of Hope. Today that same passion resides as Evans Memorial Camp is established. Together they have five children and fourteen grandchildren. Through the power of prayer and Gods love they have witnessed the transformation of their family's lives, and are honored to pave the way for other generations to experience restoration. They began a journey of faith that will last a lifetime.
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Directors
Rick and Stephany Wagner both come from a past of addiction and have experienced God’s redemption. Rick graduated the program at Dunklin, went through their Servant Leadership Training and served on staff for three years. He is an Ordained Minister and has served in the Men's Program at Dunklin, the Kids Church, and the Men's Program at Martin County Jail. He has an AS Degree in Theology from Freedom Seminary. Since moving to Georgia Rick was involved with the Youth at Southland Church, and Kairos Prison Ministry. Presently Rick is the Director of Evans Memorial Camp. Stephany graduated from the Refuge Ranch and The Women’s Refuge of Vero Beach. She continued with a two year Discipleship Program and has worked with the Outreach Program called “Shine Girls” at Care Net Pregnancy Center. She has her AS degree in Human Services and serves as a Mentor at South Georgia House of Hope and is the Administrative Director at Evans Memorial Camp. Rick and Stephany have four children, Gloryana Jubilee Rose Wagner, Richard William Titus Wagner, Ziel Gideon Sloan Wagner, and enjoy visits with Rick's older twin boys Jacob and Tyler. Together they live out of a passionate and sustaining desire to give back what they have been given.
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Meet the families on a Mission:
Our Staff
Craig Tanner - Community Outreach Director
Craig has been with us for 5 years. He was married to his beloved Stephanie Tanner in October 2019. She is the Manager of Restored Treasures and Assistant Director at House of Hope. Craig works with the community to secure jobs and spread the love of Jesus!
"Our relationship is completely made in Heaven and that’s the best way to describe it. We both come from a past of addiction and living a life of sin. We both were taught how to have a genuine relationship with God throughout our program. After we graduated Servant Leadership Training from House of Hope and Evans Memorial Camp, we were able to pursue a courtship with each other. We wanted to stay completely pure since we were now a new creation in Gods eyes so the first day that we kissed was on our wedding day. We have been reconciled to our children and we are passionate about pouring into others and showing them Gods goodness and faithfulness through our testimony!!"
Craig has been with us for 5 years. He was married to his beloved Stephanie Tanner in October 2019. She is the Manager of Restored Treasures and Assistant Director at House of Hope. Craig works with the community to secure jobs and spread the love of Jesus!
"Our relationship is completely made in Heaven and that’s the best way to describe it. We both come from a past of addiction and living a life of sin. We both were taught how to have a genuine relationship with God throughout our program. After we graduated Servant Leadership Training from House of Hope and Evans Memorial Camp, we were able to pursue a courtship with each other. We wanted to stay completely pure since we were now a new creation in Gods eyes so the first day that we kissed was on our wedding day. We have been reconciled to our children and we are passionate about pouring into others and showing them Gods goodness and faithfulness through our testimony!!"
Laura Salatas - Office Administrator
Hello! My name is Laura and I have been a part of Evans for the past several years. I have personally become a bolder Christian woman since and have gained much healing and many Godly relationships through this ministry. I have experienced addiction second hand and know what it is like to feel like you are alone. There is no bigger lie than that! This place is an anointed refuge for broken men, families, and children. God used them to not only restore me and my children, but also their father. I thank the Lord every day that I made the leap of faith to join in the mission of Evans Memorial Camp!
Hello! My name is Laura and I have been a part of Evans for the past several years. I have personally become a bolder Christian woman since and have gained much healing and many Godly relationships through this ministry. I have experienced addiction second hand and know what it is like to feel like you are alone. There is no bigger lie than that! This place is an anointed refuge for broken men, families, and children. God used them to not only restore me and my children, but also their father. I thank the Lord every day that I made the leap of faith to join in the mission of Evans Memorial Camp!
Brandon Hass - Inner Healing Teacher and Restored Treasures Assistant
"My life was in shambles I was 125 lbs. malnourished with my face sunken in standing 5’11”. Scruffy beard with long hair that had not been cut in months. Needless to say, I was living for drugs doing whatever it takes to get my next high and convince those around me I had it all together. Sad thing is the only one I was fooling was myself, my family was worried sick and quite often voiced their concerns and fear that I was going to die. At this point I abandoned my daughter, stolen from anyone and everyone that I could and burnt every bridge I came across. Still, this wasn’t enough for me to see the wreckage I had caused it wasn’t till my second overdose when I woke to an EMT telling me breathe, breathe, breathe till I realized that if I don’t get help, I will be dead sooner rather than later. So, I cried out for help, I knew my cousin Rick had a program and I knew I could get help if I really wanted it. When I came to Evans, I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into, I was asked if I was willing to do whatever it takes. Little did I know I would push to my limits emotionally and spiritually. If I could use a comparison, I would say Evans is the equivalency of joining the navy seals for Christ. Over the next year of my life I was tested, tried and renewed physically, spiritually and emotionally. Since then, I have been restored to my daughter who will be coming to live with me this year at Evans for the first time in almost 5 years. I got through the hardest time in my entire life with the passing of my father last October and learned how to grieve in a healthy manor. And I also have become as my uncle says the patriarch of my family, I’m 170lbs today and a paid minister. I have relationships I couldn’t have even dreamed of ever having. I owe all this to Jesus Christ I couldn’t have done it without him."
"My life was in shambles I was 125 lbs. malnourished with my face sunken in standing 5’11”. Scruffy beard with long hair that had not been cut in months. Needless to say, I was living for drugs doing whatever it takes to get my next high and convince those around me I had it all together. Sad thing is the only one I was fooling was myself, my family was worried sick and quite often voiced their concerns and fear that I was going to die. At this point I abandoned my daughter, stolen from anyone and everyone that I could and burnt every bridge I came across. Still, this wasn’t enough for me to see the wreckage I had caused it wasn’t till my second overdose when I woke to an EMT telling me breathe, breathe, breathe till I realized that if I don’t get help, I will be dead sooner rather than later. So, I cried out for help, I knew my cousin Rick had a program and I knew I could get help if I really wanted it. When I came to Evans, I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into, I was asked if I was willing to do whatever it takes. Little did I know I would push to my limits emotionally and spiritually. If I could use a comparison, I would say Evans is the equivalency of joining the navy seals for Christ. Over the next year of my life I was tested, tried and renewed physically, spiritually and emotionally. Since then, I have been restored to my daughter who will be coming to live with me this year at Evans for the first time in almost 5 years. I got through the hardest time in my entire life with the passing of my father last October and learned how to grieve in a healthy manor. And I also have become as my uncle says the patriarch of my family, I’m 170lbs today and a paid minister. I have relationships I couldn’t have even dreamed of ever having. I owe all this to Jesus Christ I couldn’t have done it without him."
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Kenny DeBusk: Regeneration Teacher and Property Manager
"My Name is Kenneth Marshall DeBusk, I am 48 years old. I have been at Evans Memorial Camp since September 14, 2018. This is where God's taught me to get myself and my wants out of the way so I could open up to do the will of God. He's breaking chains, swinging wide those cell doors and prison bars that the world boxes in and labels with: we've done it to ourselves under the influence of negative thinking. For many years, I was lost and undone, He brought me to myself, and is ever setting me free. I came to Evans September 14, 2018 and graduated August 18, 2019. I stayed on another year, and another, and another, not because I wanted to, but because it was the right thing to do. It has been a difficult road, and not a path of comfortability, full of obstacles, in myself mostly, to be overcome. The only choices are to work it out, or decide that life is too hard, throw in the towel and give up. Giving in is not an option, so I seek to surrender to Him and His way, rather than my own desires and deliberate bad choices. He lifted me up and set me among the living as best he knows how. My life was a mess before, taking action has built responsibility, revealed purpose in the service of others. Don't lose hope, faith and patience will set you free." |
Meet the Dream Team:
Servant Leadership Training
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The Servant Leadership Training program provides the experiences needed to be an effective leader by
following Jesus Christ. It is a 1 year commitment. Both word and example are principles of servanthood. This is the heart and core of living out His life by His spirit within us. To bring forth and raise up men who have been called by God. Purpose: The main purpose of Servant Leadership Training program is to help those who have a call on their lives to test, train, and develop the skills, gifts, talents and most of all character. In time, the process with reveal a need either for ongoing training here on staff or a vision for ministry elsewhere in the Body of Christ. Commitment, Class Room Participation, Hands-On Ministry Assignments, and Family Recovery (if married) 
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