The Rev. Dr. Robert A. Diggs Sr., senior pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Petersburg, who grew up in Mathews County, received a framed copy Sunday of Senate Resolution No. 165 passed by the General Assembly in February.

Presenting the resolution was Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond), its sponsor.

The resolution notes that Diggs, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, was on active duty from 1975-1998, first as an infantry officer, then with the Army Chaplain Corps, receiving awards such as the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit.

He became pastor at Tabernacle in July 1996. He also became active in Petersburg, founding the Restoration of Petersburg Community Development Corporation in 1999 to revitalize the Halifax community. This organization received Virginia Housing Award for Best Housing Development at the Governor’s Housing Conference in 2011.

The resolution notes that “in every aspect of his life, Robert Diggs exudes a servant’s heart and is a source of inspiration, stab...