ATLANTA — Of all the places Courtney Allen thought she'd be during a summer ministry in Greenville, Miss., standing in rubber boots in raw sewage wasn't one of them. But a local family desperately needed a functioning bathroom, and someone had to be willing to help.
It was a challenging project — so much so that the hired plumber took one look at what water damage and lack of plumbing had done and never returned. So while Allen didn't expect to help do the project herself, it was the only option. Nothing went right and everything took longer than expected, but the family had a working bathroom by the summer's end.
“This family ended up with a working sink and toilet and a floor that was sturdy,” Allen said. “Toward the end, the daughter came in and said, ‘It looks like somebody could live here.'”
That Greenville family was just one touched by Allen's summer ministry in the Mississippi Delta, where the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's rural poverty initiative has been working to build community and reduce poverty. Called Together for Hope, this CBF ministry has identified 20 of the poorest U.S. counties in which to focus poverty-reducing efforts.
While not one of the 20 poorest, Mississippi's Washington County has faced significant economic downturn. Allen, a first-year student at CBF partner Wake Forest University Divinity School in Winston-Salem, N.C., wanted to do what she could to help, and CBF of Mississippi was more than willing to support her.
“Within 30 days an organization that operates off $150,000 a year had raised $20,000 to support a summer ministry for Courtney to be there,” said Steve Street, coordinator of CBF of Mississippi. “There was true enthusiasm around it.”
Seeing Allen as someone who could bolster Mississippi's rural poverty ministry efforts, donations of all sizes came from every CBF partner church in Mississippi, including Allen's home church in Jackson.
“Because everybody knew Courtney, they had an enormous amount of confidence,” said Jill Buckley, Northminster Baptist Church's associate pastor for community ministry. “It was a connection that we could support someone we already loved to help her grow in her ministry.”
Harvest Fellowship, a congregation in Greenville, made the first financial contribution to the summer ministry and welcomed Allen as part of their ministry team.
Allen began her ministry in Greenville by listening to people. She'd go to social service agencies and just sit in the waiting area. She'd ask for a meeting with anyone willing — elected city officials, pastors, social service agency leaders and others. By the end of the summer, she had built dozens of relationships and had helped start a new ministry at Harvest Fellowship called Helping Hands of the Delta.
The ministry began with a food pantry and clothing closet, and as it grew, more CBF partner congregations became involved. Members of First Baptist Church in Leland, Miss., built a wheelchair ramp for a woman who had recently suffered a stroke. Members of Olive Branch Fellowship in Olive Branch, Miss., came to help with the clothing closet but did something entirely different when a trailer of corn was donated by a local farmer.
“We got on the back of the trailer and rode through the neighborhood and handed out corn. People would say, ‘What do I owe you?' and we'd say ‘Nothing, it's just for you,' ” Allen said.
More than any ministry project, Allen's relationships with local people made the real difference in the community and in her understanding of what God has called her to do.
“I feel called to be engaged in the nitty-gritty of peoples' lives, where generally there are significant physical needs,” she said. “This summer was an incredible opportunity to be able to think and pray and envision what new ministry looks like in a place like Greenville.”
Allen's presence also left a profound impact in Greenville.
“[Courtney's] efforts left an ongoing vehicle [for ministry] in the Helping Hands of the Delta. Our challenge is to make sure it continues,” Street said.
For more information on Together for Hope and CBF rural poverty efforts, visit www. ruralpoverty.net.