Can a small church in a rural community make a difference? Terry Simmons thinks so and set out to prove it.
The church Simmons leads, Cash Baptist in Cash, Ark., celebrated the success of its Seeds of Hope ministry in mid-July, having distributed fresh vegetables and fruit to every household in the community, more than 100 families in all.
Simmons and the church drew media attention by inviting political leaders and candidates from both parties to the celebration. Simmons asked them to address rural poverty issues. The church also served a meal featuring the garden’s vegetables and fruit.
When Simmons came to Cash two years ago for his first pastorate after being ordained by Walnut Street Baptist Church in Jonesboro, he launched a series of sermons on how a small church can impact its community.
“How can 35 active members of Cash Baptist Church change the world?” he asked, encouraging his members to explore ways to reach out to the community.
Aware of the poverty in the area, Simmons began to research rural poverty. He learned that good nutrition is a great need and community gardens can provide a good solution. So he and members of Cash Baptist plowed up an 8,000-square-foot garden behind his home, which is next to the church.
The plot previously was thick with Bermuda grass, and some told the pastor he was crazy to try to plant a garden where Bermuda had been. But God blessed Simmons’ persistence.
The garden produced an abundance and a wide variety, which members helped him harvest, bag and distribute as each vegetable or fruit matured.
Although the concept was to aid the poor, the church did not discriminate. The produce went to everyone, from the finest home to the poorest in the community.
“We received a blessing, they received a blessing through the vegetables and fresh fruit, and we showed them the love of Christ,” Simmons said. “We’ve really been able to show people God’s love through a bag of vegetables.”
As members knocked on doors, some recipients wanted to pay, but church members told them it was a gift from God and from Cash Baptist. Most asked why the church was doing this.
“That gave us a perfect opportunity to share the gospel with them,” Simmons said. “Seeds of Hope seeks to meet a need in our community by supplementing diets with additional fruit and vegetables. As Christians, we are commanded to love and provide for the poor and to spread the kingdom of heaven. Seeds of Hope is a good place to start because it lets us meet a basic need for healthy food. The ministry has been a great blessing to our church and members, from our children to the elderly who have worked in our garden.”
He said other pastors and churches have asked about the ministry and are excited about launching similar initiatives.
“Churches have land,” Simmons said. “Churches have people who love to garden, and churches have a responsibility and a challenging need they can help meet and a desire to reach out and share the love of Christ.”