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Laurie, a member of Edgerton United Methodist Church, was doing some Christmas shopping when one of the clerks came up to her and asked her if she could help her. “Just browsing!” was Laurie’s reply. As the two ladies talked the conversation got around to Laurie sharing with the clerk that she attended Edgerton Methodist Church (EMUMC). The clerk immediately let Laurie know that she had received food from the Food Pantry at EMUMC. She shared that her husband was disabled and they were unable to put food on their table and pay their bills. With tears in her eyes, she told Laurie how much it had meant to her to be able to get the food in her time of need.
Just a few days later, a homeless man who lives next to the railroad tracks near I-95 showed up at the doors of EMUMC. He was hungry. He was lonely. He believed that no one cared whether he lived or died. After receiving an ample supply of food, he noted that he could not eat it all, so he returned what he could not use. The following Wednesday, he was back. Yet this time, he didn’t come just to eat. He came to help carry the food to others who were receiving assistance.
This is a common theme of a story that began as a simple ministry of “feeding the hungry,” those who are initially on the outside, joining with those on the inside. Usually, during the Wednesday morning ministry of food distribution, a third of the servant-volunteers will be from beyond EMUMC. Many of those initially receiving food will return to assist those who have none. On a typical Wednesday, members of Edgerton will join shoulder to shoulder with others who are affiliated with other churches, or affiliated with no church.
As pastor Butch Huffman noted, “The Food Pantry has caused us at EMUMC to reflect on how we treat God’s children, especially those whom Jesus calls ‘the least of these.’”
During one night of sleeplessness, God moved Rev. Huffman to consider how he was treating “God’s sheep.” He stated, “When I would show up at church on Wednesdays, there were cars parked everywhere, even next to the sign which read ‘No Parking in Driveway.’ These children of God, these sheep, were being herded through the line.” Within two weeks the sign disappeared, refreshments were placed in the waiting area. Rev. Huffman continued, “My attitude had changed and things began to change with the volunteers.”
Prayer is now an essential part of the ministry, where at the beginning of each distribution, volunteers are available to pray with those coming for food. Dave Holmes, an EMUMC member, painted a box red and placed a slot on it for Prayer Requests. Every week a number of the Sheep will place their prayer requests in the box. They are prayed for by the Prayer Breakfast group. Many who were luke-warm about the idea of a food outreach have now actively joined in the process, and in the wonder of the ministry, they too are transformed.
“Our community has also pitched in and is helping,” said Rev. Huffman. “The Selma Library collects food for the Food Pantry. Other churches and local businesses have also donated food. The local Police, Social Services, schools and other groups often will refer people with food needs to EMUMC. Because we dared to reach out, others now know our name.”
Gail Moore is the Director of the Food Pantry. She and other volunteers purchase food from the NC Food Bank in Raleigh and transfer it to the shelves of EMUMC for distribution. Additionally, each month the Food Bank delivers another nine pallets of food to the church. Over the last two years, Edgerton’s Food Pantry has distributed over 129 ½ tons of food, the equivalent of 548,120 meals, and has served 22,687 people. Beginning in 2007, the Interfaith Food Shuttle will also deliver food to the church.
As Rev. Huffman notes, “This is not simply about providing food. It is about sharing the love of Christ to a world that better understands the words of salvation when those words are connected to the action of love, doing the things that Jesus did.”
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