09/17/2026
PRESS RELEASE — Dr. Don Ribeiro, MD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday, September 17, 2026
Dr. Don Ribeiro Inducted into NCFCM Order of the Basin and Towel
LA GRANGE, N.C. — The North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries inducted Dr. Don Ribeiro into its Order of the Basin and Towel during the Foundation’s Twenty-first Anniversary Meeting held September 15, 2026, at La Grange First Free Will Baptist Church.
The Order of the Basin and Towel is the Foundation’s highest honor and draws its meaning from John 13, where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and gave them an example of humble service. The honor is reserved for individuals whose lives demonstrate extraordinary, sacrificial and faithful Christian service.
Ribeiro graduated from the East Carolina University School of Medicine and became board certified in family practice medicine. He continues to practice medicine full-time. His life of ministry, however, began even before the completion of his medical education. Three years before graduating from medical school, Ribeiro was ordained as a minister in the Original Free Will Baptist denomination.
He served as an associate pastor at Winterville, ministered to young people there for many years and later served as interim pastor at Marlboro. In 1998, Ribeiro accepted the call to pastor Ormondsville Original Free Will Baptist Church, where he served for 25 years. Following his retirement from the pastorate, he continued serving at Ormondsville and mentoring the church’s new pastor through the ordination process.
Ribeiro’s service has also extended to Cragmont, the University of Mount Olive and the North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries, where he has served as a director and as secretary and treasurer. Together with his wife, he has used his medical training in Christian service as a physician on numerous mission trips around the world.
Ribeiro holds a particularly important place in the history of the Foundation. When founder Dr. W. Burkette R***r envisioned an organization that would bring together Christian stewardship, sound financial management and ministry, Ribeiro was one of the first two people he approached to help make that vision a reality. Along with fellow 2026 inductee Charles L. “Sonny” McLawhorn Jr., Ribeiro helped shape the organization, establish its credibility and guide it through its formative years.
More than two decades later, Ribeiro continues to help steward the Foundation and its mission of “helping good people do good things.” He and McLawhorn have each also received North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
In presenting the Order of the Basin and Towel, the Foundation emphasized that the honor is not about professional accomplishments or accumulated titles. Rather, the basin and towel symbolize a willingness to serve—a quality Ribeiro has demonstrated throughout his life as a physician, pastor, missionary, denominational leader and servant of the Foundation.
About NCFCM: Founded in 2005, the North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries helps individuals, families, churches, and organizations establish and manage charitable endowments that provide lasting support for Christian ministry, education, and other charitable purposes. Its mission is “Helping Good People Do Good Things.”
To learn more about the North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries, establish an endowment, make a charitable gift, or explore ways the Foundation can help you support a church, ministry, educational institution, or other charitable organization, contact the Foundation office or visit its website.
North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries
124 North Center Street
Mount Olive, NC 28365
Phone: (919) 299-4616
Email: [email protected]
Website: NCFCM.org
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