FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Operation Inasmuch, the one-day missions blitz organization that started at a Baptist church in Fayetteville, N.C., became a national ministry Jan. 30.
David Crocker, who was pastor of Fayetteville's Snyder Memorial Baptist Church when Operation Inasmuch was born, is the executive director. He recently spoke at celebrations for the ministry's launch in Fayetteville and Knoxville, Tenn., where he now lives.
The gathering in Fayetteville also celebrated the beginning of a local Operation Inasmuch chapter in Fayetteville. Sue Byrd, a member at Snyder, will serve as its director.
Operation Inasmuch is based on the 40th verse in Matthew 25, which says “…Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
The operation helps large and small churches do local mission projects in one day. Roughly 500 churches have used the model, including churches in England and Canada.
Crocker and the national group's board of directors plan to add 10,000 new volunteers to the network and incorporate them through 100 new participating churches — a 25 percent increase from current numbers.
Directors said they will also double the number of states where Operation Inasmuch events have been held, increasing the numbers from eight to 16. And they'll hold 15 to 20 workshops and training events this year. About a third of them are already full, Crocker said.
Eventually, Operation Inasmuch directors will establish mission partnerships with other organizations. One such agreement is already in place with Serve Management Group, a Cumming, Ga., organization that facilitates mission trips.
“Church groups that go on mission trips often come back and say something like, ‘Why can't we do that at home?'” Crocker said. Now volunteers affiliated with Serve Management will receive information about continuing their work with Operation Inasmuch.
Gaylon Moss, the coordinator of volunteerism and director of disaster relief for North Carolina Baptist Men, said Operation Inasmuch is a great way for churches to reach their communities. He said the Baptist State Convention wants Operation Inasmuch to be in all 100 North Carolina counties by April 2008.
Crocker said he also plans to introduce the Operation Inasmuch concept on college campuses. When a pilot project was held at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., 300 students completed two dozen projects, he said.
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