First Baptist Church
Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. David L. Wheeler
First Baptist Church
909 SW 11th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97205
(503) 228-7465
reception@fbc-portland.org
Sunday Worship Schedule:
9:00 Casual Service
10:00 Sunday School
11:00 Traditional Service
CHURCH OF THE WEEK
First Baptist Church: Hot Meals for the Homeless
By Nancy Kurrack and Richard Santoro
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– First Baptist Church in downtown Portland is unique in beautiful ways. This 152 year old church hosts concerts for the Portland Baroque Orchestra and ministers hot meals to the homeless who live in their midst.
"We’ve got doctors and lawyers and educators from all over metropolitan Portland. But in the downtown area, we also have folks who come to worship every Sunday from off the streets," says parishioner, Dr. David Wheeler.
Every Monday and Thursday, Jack Brophy, who heads up the feeding ministry, calls on volunteers to prepare the food to feed the hungry.
"It takes about 25 people in order to pull a meal off by the time you do the preparation ... somebody washing the dishes, somebody manning the door," says Jack.
Volunteers come from four Sunday services preached in three different languages. Saveth Anderson, from the Cambodian ministry, works in the kitchen.
"I see people happy. They have the food that they need, and sometimes they’re so friendly when they see us helping them," Saveth says.
In the first six months of 2007, First Baptist Church served 12,816 free meals.
"I eat three times a month here ... and the food, basically, it’s really nutritional, and the people are very friendly. And, t’s really clean, and I like that," says Mary Dudley.
Jack Brophy agrees, "What keeps us going is people come back and saying, 'I used to eat there, and thank you for providing a hot meal when I needed it.' ”
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