By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
APISON — With prayer, planning, promotion and persistence, the congregation at Apison Baptist Church has transformed a simple food pantry into a thriving ministry.
And they’ve done it in the span of about six months.
When Apison Baptist officially took over leadership of the food pantry last August, the ministry was feeding roughly 300 families each month.
Now, that number has essentially tripled, with an estimated 900 families — or perhaps more — being fed in December.
“God has been gracious,” said Apison Baptist senior pastor Macil Duncan. “We are still getting our bearings around this growth. There are so many hungry people.”
The growth of the food pantry has led the church to lease a new facility for the ministry, which was previously housed in a small rental building in downtown Apison. The new facility is three times the size of the previous building.
The church now uses both the old facility and the newly-rented building, Duncan said.
“When the pantry started, it was in a former barber shop,” said Duncan. “We prayed and took a step of faith and rented the former grocery store next door (to the old building). Bill Hullander is a good friend and he gave us a great price. We grew so much we had to go back and rent the old barber shop, too.”
Last fall, the church began offering a chapel and prayer time — which is optional — to the families who “shop” at the food pantry.
“Since we started the chapel in October, we have had 16 pray to receive Christ, along with 17 other decisions,” Duncan said. “Many times we just weep and pray with the hurting.”
Duncan said the church has embraced the ministry with tremendous enthusiasm.
“It excites our church to know that Matthew 25 is clear: On the judgement day we will all be held accountable for how we treated others,” Duncan said. “When we serve the least of these we serve Him. Our purpose statement at Apison Baptist is ‘Taking Jesus as He is to people as they are.’ ”
The food pantry has drawn support from numerous public officials in the Apison area, and Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn sent a video message to the church, encouraging families to share resources with others.
Duncan noted that the food pantry offers a wide range of selections, as well as catering to other needs that families might have, Duncan said.
“We provide meats, vegetables in a can and fresh, breads, rice, beans and desserts as they are donated,” said Duncan. “When we have enough funds, we order USDA meats and sides. … We also help the families with SNAP and other ministries that (provide services) in areas we don’t.”
The church has approximately 30 volunteers who help run the pantry, which is open three days each week.
The church has several additional ministries dedicated to feeding the hungry, including hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. The events are generally paid for through fund-raising events, which is an element of the ministry that Duncan especially enjoys.
“Planning community events and fund raisers is fun for me,” he said.
One of the events — called ‘The Big Sale’ — is held in the summer. Local retailers and community members donate items to be sold, with all proceeds going to the food pantry. Duncan said this year’s event raised more than $7,000 in three weeks — a huge leap from $2,500 that was raised in 2018.
The church also hosts a Thanksgiving meal for in-need families — with more than 250 families being fed this past November — and holds a coat drive called “Warm Apison” that collected 100 coats to give to kids and single parents.
Duncan said all of the ministries, and specifically the food pantry, are dependent on volunteers, along with help from various companies, organizations and other churches — including Pine Hill Church of God and Apison Seventh-day Adventist Church — in the Apison area.
“We have great volunteers,” he said. “We are also partnering with 12 local stores, the Chattanooga Food Bank, and area churches for food donations. The growth has led to funds from Hullander Farms, Farm Bureau and other local vendors who donate from time to time. We are getting donations from across the state in the tri-cities and across state lines in Georgia.”
Duncan, who served as the youth pastor at Apison Baptist when was 18 years old, said the growth of the food pantry has created some challenges, but said he is excited about seeing how God is going to continue to use the ministry for His glory.
“We are taking this month to month,” he said. “We are excited about helping the hungry with the resources we have been blessed with.” B&R