Dr. M.B. Morrow Jr. and his wife, Beverly, were honored for 50 years of ministry by Midway Baptist Church. Morrow was also awarded The Order of the Palmetto - the highest honor available to civilians in South Carolina. Dr. M.B. Morrow Jr. had the surprise of his life Saturday evening as the congregation of Midway Baptist Church hosted a celebration in honor of their interim pastor's 50 years of service in the ministry.

Approximately 400 people were on hand to pay tribute to Morrow. One person drove all the way from Commiskey, Ind., and others came from across the state. Each of the churches he has served, with the exception of one, was represented at the event.

Morrow was presented with a plaque listing the names of the churches he has pastored. He was also honored with the state's highest civilian award, The Order of the Palmetto.

"I was totally shocked," Morrow said. "The church members keep asking me if I suspected something, but I didn't know a thing. I was overwhelmed with the awards and the recognition. I want to thank all the members of Midway for their hard work and I want to thank my wife, Beverly, for being with me through all these many years of service. We've been married for 55 years, so she's been at my side the whole time."

Morrow attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky and was ordained while a student there.

"I was ordained at the church there in November, so the 50 years will officially be on Nov. 4 of this year. I've served as a full-time pastor of nine churches and been interim at 14 others since 1992."

During his career, Morrow served 11 years - from 19741985 - at First Baptist Church of Gaffney. His interim pastorates in Cherokee County have been at Midway, Corinth, Bethany and West End.

A highlight of the evening's festivities was the presentation of The Order of the Palmetto to Morrow. Authorized by Governor Mark Sanford, the award was presented to Morrow by one of Morrow's closest friends, Rev. Ted Mears. The award honors Morrow for his lifetime achievement and service.

Gov. John West created the Order of the Palmetto in 1971. It was modeled on similar honors bestowed in other states such as the Kentucky Colonel and North Carolina's Order of the Longleaf Pine.

Over the years, the award was handed out to nearly anyone with a connection to the serving gubernatorial administration.

In 2003, a panel was created to establish firm criteria for award eligibility. Nominees who make a statewide accomplishment are eligible for The Order of the Palmetto while those who make a local community or professional contribution are eligible for another honor - the Order of the Silver Crescent.

Among the more eclectic recipients of the award are the rock group Hootie and the Blowfish. Gov. Jim Hodges recognized them for their charity efforts in 1999.