A simple, early morning breakfast could mean more for local residents beyond friendly communion.
Loudon County Habitat for Humanity hosted a breakfast for pastors Thursday at the UT Extension Service board room in Loudon. More than 15 local leaders heard how they could get their churches involved in the mission of Habitat.
Part of that mission is working to eliminate local poverty with a focus on safe, affordable housing. Volunteers build houses and provide home repairs, while Habitat ReStore gives residents a place to purchase clothing, household items and more.
Tony Gibbons, local Habitat executive director, gave a brief overview about the nonprofit’s faith-based approach, ongoing work and local needs for housing and food.
Sandi Byrd, director of faith relations, then told a story of how former President Jimmy Carter got involved with Habitat before discussing the organization’s Christian roots and focus on being inclusive.
Making a difference
Byrd also emphasized the impact churches can have by providing volunteers to build homes, offer financial support and pray for the overall mission.
Gibbons said he was glad to see diversity in age, gender and denominations among the faith leaders attending. He said the intent is to discover where a common interest results in the opportunity for something impactful in the community.
The local chapter is stilling feeling a ripple effect from the pandemic, and he said reconnecting and starting conversations with new churches is imperative.
Churches are on the front lines of what is happening in the community and probably are among the first to see family needs, Gibbons said. He said he suspects as uncertain times begin to impact the economy, faith partners will be needed to ensure Habitat can support as many people as possible.
“Part of the uniqueness of the Habitat mission is that we’re partnered with so many entities in the community, whether that’s schools or businesses, government, but most certainly with the faith community,” Gibbons said. “The faith community is able to often bring financial resources, but they — probably just as important if not more so — are able to bring volunteers and volunteers with a diversity of skill sets.
“We need those skill sets and churches have this melting pot of professions within their halls, and so we’re able to tap into that and the bonus is that there’s fellowship,” he added. “There’s opportunity for people to get outside and do something when we’re so often not. We’re inside. It’s just a great value for us in that way.”
Jody Brashear, honorary lifetime Habitat board member and associate pastor at Cornerstone Church in Farragut, spoke on the history of the Loudon County chapter, telling how the organization impacts the community and encouraging the pastors attending to get involved.
Brashear said she was thrilled with the turnout and the response Habitat received, with some pastors committing to involve congregants.
God wants this
“It needs to be done not only for the community,” Brashear said. “I know it’s something that God wants to be done and my heart is with Habitat. I’m familiar with it. I know it from start to finish. I know the good, bad and the ugly, but I also know what it can do and how it can change not only an individual that participates and volunteers, but I know the change that it brings about in a family in their lives when it comes forward.
“It changes families lives,” she added. “It gives them hope and a future, but the volunteers that come and work, it changes them also. … It’s a way of changing a life.”
Scott Layer, lead pastor at Central United Methodist Church, told pastors what his congregation is already doing with the nonprofit. The Lenoir City church has partnered with Loudon, Trinity and First Farragut United Methodist churches to raise funds, recruit volunteers and provide food and labor for a house build.
The partnering churches raised $47,145.47 and exceeded the goal needed for a build, he said, adding that the extra $17,000 might be seed money for the next build to make the goal more reachable for others.
“I think, at least in my heart and I’d say most of our churches’ heart, is it’s better when we can work together to accomplish things that we can’t accomplish on our own,” Layer said. “So I think then the fact that we’re followers of Jesus, no matter what church name or whatever letters are behind the name, that we can all work together to be an example of what it means to follow Jesus by our actions.”
Fight the isolation
Dustin Cooper, pastor at Christian Church of Loudon County, said his congregation has been a longtime supporter of Habitat but hasn’t helped with a build since 2017.
While the pandemic has in many ways created a culture of isolation, Cooper said encouraging church members to a renewed purpose must take priority. He said awareness of the local need can help bring many church members out of isolation and back into the community.
He said he and other area pastors are already gathering to pray and foster opportunities for work across denominations. He said if the people he is connected with can collaborate, a larger impact might bring long-term benefits for the county.
“We see the person of Jesus asking us to go to all who are weary and needy and those that are orphaned and those who are widowed,” Cooper said. “Those that are the most ostracized. So ultimately, what Habitat does is it reaches people that normally couldn’t find shelter and when we do that together we reflect the oneness that Jesus calls us to. Ultimately, his followers are meant to work together, and we all have different opinions about different things, but when it comes to people in need, we all agree that those people need help.”
