Another 2012 Inasmuch United

The following article appeared Mar. 15, 2012 online at The Daily News (Murfreesboro, TN) web site: www.dnj.com. Several churches will gather in Murfreesboro on March 31 for their annual Inasmuch United.

HELPING HANDS: Churches gather volunteers for Operation Inasmuch

Written by Doug Davis 615-278-5152

Gary and Libby Green of First Baptist Church on East Main Street do some painting at Special Kids during a past Operation Inasmuch event. / Submitted photo

MURFREESBORO — Since 2004, a number of downtown Murfreesboro churches have joined forces to lend a helping hand in the area through a program called Operation Inasmuch.

The commissioning service for the volunteer efforts is at 8:30 a.m. March 31 at First Baptist Church on East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Then volunteers will be headed to various nonprofits to work.

“The reason I’m involved is it’s an ecumenical approach to serving for all the churches, serving all of the caring organizations,” said Nancy Loucky of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The name of the group comes from Matthew 25:40, which states: “I tell you the truth, when you did it unto one of the least of these, my brothers, you have done it unto me.”

Kristina Brown, minister of community ministries at First Baptist Church, said the event began in April 2004. The initial effort in the spring that year was by East Main Street members.

“Then St. Paul’s and First Presbyterian Church saw the information we had about it and were interested in what we did and how we did it,” Brown told The Daily News Journal. “Instead of teaching them in their church, I said, ‘Why don’t we just do it together?’”

The second event was in October 2004, as St. Paul’s and First Presbyterian joined First Baptist. The number of churches participating has increased over the years.

“More churches got involved, including Central Christian Church and Antioch Baptist Church. St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church was also a participant for a while, and some of their members still participate individually, Brown said.

Roger Mitzner of St. Rose Catholic Church paints at the Primary Care & Hope Clinic during a previous Operation Inasmuch event. / Submitted photo

Joe Rich, a member of Antioch Primitive Baptist Church in Murfreesboro is a veteran volunteer of [the Inasmuch event].

“The last time I helped was in 2011,” said Rich, a South Carolina native who served in the military out of Fort Campbell for three years and stayed in the area. “This year, we are helping agencies that serve residents in Rutherford County.”

Initially, the volunteers were completing minor residential repairs

“But it became a real difficult thing to manage,” Brown said. “A lot of things we were asked to do were cost prohibitive for us.”

Since 2008, [the Inasmuch event] has been focusing on projects with nonprofits.

“My feeling is that we are helping folks who are understaffed and underpaid with jobs they don’t have time to do because they are always dealing with people who are in crisis,” Brown explained. “The things around their facility always take a back seat. Even though it might bother them, they don’t have time to work on it, because they have people who need help.”

Among the events that have been lined up for the volunteers to complete on March 31 are spring cleaning at the Child Advocacy Center and replacing ceiling tiles and light bulbs there. Painting is the focus at Habitat for Humanity and Read To Succeed. Volunteers will serve lunch to the poor and homeless, and sort clothes at The Journey Home. Shelves will be installed, yard work done and sanding and repainting kitchen cabinets will be completed at Journeys in Community Living. Work is also planned at Greenhouse Ministries and at the Murfreesboro City School’s Mercury Court preschool.

“I do it for the camaraderie with fellow church members,” said Kathy Corlew of First Presbyterian Church. “We’ve been charged to love our neighbors and to help people in need.”

Last year individuals at participating churches volunteered individually through United Way’s Days of Action. But the participation was down from the churches, and members said they enjoyed the camaraderie of working as part of Operation Inasmuch.

“We expect to have about 200 volunteers,” Brown said. “Last year, we had about 25 members.”

 

NOTE: To participate in Murfreesboro’s Inasmuch United, contact Kristina Brown at First Baptist Church, 615-893-2514.

Written by:
David Crocker

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