Mike Young, senior pastor of Zion Baptist Church, Brownsville, chats with attendees at the “Blue Oval City Workers Appreciation Block Party” on Saturday, Sept. 9. The event was hosted by Zion Baptist Church, along with help from volunteers from a handful of other churches. The cookout was held at Hidden Acres RV Park, where a large number of Blue Oval City construction workers are living while the Ford auto plant is being built. — Photos by David Dawson
BROWNSVILLE — Mike Young, senior pastor at Zion Baptist Church, Brownsville, knows that if Tennessee Baptists are truly going to make an impact in Blue Oval City, it is going to require cooperation from churches all over the state.
Much to his delight, he’s already seeing that happen.
When Zion Baptist hosted a “Blue Oval City Workers Appreciation Block Party” on Sept. 9 at Hidden Acres RV Park, the event was bolstered by volunteers from several churches in the Stanton area. Volunteers from outside the area — including First Baptist Church in Pulaski and FBC Collierville — also came to help serve hamburgers and hotdogs to the Blue Oval City workers.
The cookout included door prizes, cornhole and homemade desserts. At the end of the night, Young presented the gospel.
It was one of numerous evangelistic events that have been held in recent weeks for the workers at Blue Oval City, the massive Ford auto plant that is being built in Stanton.
Attendees make their way through the serving line at the “Blue Oval City Workers Appreciation Block Party.”
“It is going to be a monumental undertaking to reach all these people who are coming here as part of Blue Oval City, and we are so thankful that churches from this area — and from around Tennessee — have locked arms with us,” Young said while glancing around at the attendees at the block party.
“We need more churches to join in, too,” Young said. “There are going to be so many opportunities for us to reach Blue Oval City, and we are going to need all the help we can get.”
When completed, Blue Oval City will cover approximately 4,100 acres and is expected to employ an estimated 10,000 workers. It is anticipated that the population in the area will increase by 90,000.
Young said events like the block party will play a vital role in helping the church form relationships with the Blue Oval contingent.
“We want to make the most of every opportunity,” Young said. “There are so many ways we can connect, and days like today are a great way to do that.” B&R
