A friendship forged during a bus ride from Chattanooga to Atlanta has grown into a partnership between two congregations that crosses racial boundaries and feeds 400 families each Thanksgiving.
“This is just one way, from our perspective … where we can help our community, but also, more importantly, I think set a model of the body of Christ working together across racial barriers,” the Rev. Doug Plumlee, senior pastor at Ridgedale Baptist Church, said in an interview.
Eight or nine years ago, Plumlee and the Rev. Ternae Jordan Sr. were two of three pastors from the Chattanooga area heading to Atlanta for a North American Mission Board conference. Now, Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, a primarily Black church where Jordan serves as senior pastor, and Ridgedale Baptist Church, a primarily white church pastored by Plumlee, come together every Thanksgiving to sponsor and assemble food baskets for local families in need. The pair sat down for an interview in Jordan’s office off Highway 58.
Two Chattanooga churches blend to feed bodies and souls
Each congregation contributes 200 boxes that hold Southern staples of the holiday meal like green beans, macaroni and cheese, corn and dressing, as well as a $25 Food City gift card for the receiving family to purchase whatever meat the family prefers.
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Given the recent lapse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, during the federal government shutdown, Plumlee said he is anticipating an even larger turnout than normal.
The churches had to turn people away when they ran out of boxes in the past, Plumlee said, but he anticipates the length of the line when boxes are gone will be even longer this year.
“The toughest thing of the whole day is telling people we’ve given all our boxes out,” Plumlee said. “I wish we had unlimited resources, but we don’t.”
Plumlee said he and the missions pastor at Ridgedale have discussed purchasing more gift cards in light of the lapse in benefits. Plumlee and Jordan are trying to figure out how to work together more often, since need is so great, Plumlee said. The joint Thanksgiving effort got started after the pandemic, and the churches partner to feed the community at Easter as well.
When the churches come together in November to pack the Thanksgiving boxes, some members from Mt. Canaan go to Ridgedale to assist, while some members from Ridgedale go to Mt. Canaan. The highlight of the day for Plumlee is stepping back and watching the two congregations cutting up and working together to help the community, he said.
Free Thanksgiving dinners and giveaways in the area
Saturday
— Hope Harvest turkey, coats and clothing giveaway: Noon at Pneuma Church, 7345 Old Cleveland Pike
— The Purpose Outreach Center Turkey Giveaway: 10 a.m. until supplies run out at two locations, Orchard Knob Elementary School, 2000 E. Third St., and Cross Culture Church, 5704 Marlin Road
Sunday
— Ridgedale Baptist Church Thanksgiving dinner giveaway: 3 p.m. until supplies run out at Ridgedale Baptist Church, 1831 Hickory Valley Road
— Mt. Canaan Baptist Church Thanksgiving dinner giveaway: 1 p.m. until supplies run out at Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, 4801 Highway 58
— Thanksgiving dinner giveaway: 1 p.m. until supplies run out at Hope House Church, 4031 Cloud Springs Road, Ringgold
Thanksgiving Day
— Free community Thanksgiving dinner and grocery distribution: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church, 2001 Blackford St.
Jordan, senior pastor at Mt. Canaan, said it would be fine for the churches to pack their boxes separately, but that wouldn’t serve the purpose of blending the two congregations.
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“Most times, if people would let down their barriers and get to know people, they could get rid of some of the things that keep us apart, because when it all boils down, we want the same thing,” Jordan said. “We want happiness for our families, for those we serve, and we want to please Jesus. And so we just try as leaders to model that.”
The congregations will distribute the boxes Sunday at their respective churches on Highway 58 and Hickory Valley Road.
“This is a beautiful way for us to say to our community, ‘We care,’ but it’s also a beautiful way to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to work together. We’re brothers in Christ,'” Plumlee said.
In years past, Mt. Canaan Baptist Church has had issues with the line of cars extending out of the parking lot and down Highway 58, Jordan said. People line up for the drive-through distribution hours ahead of time.
Police told the church to move the line along, so the distribution at Mt. Canaan, 4801 Highway 58, will begin earlier than in years past, at 1 p.m., to try to minimize the traffic impact.
Ridgedale Baptist Church, 1831 Hickory Valley Road, will begin distributing at 3 p.m.
Church members go car to car and ask what the people in the car need prayer for, Plumlee said, and at Ridgedale, those prayer requests are written down and prayed for throughout the year.
It is a joy to bless the community and to pray with individuals going through trials, Plumlee said.
“You would be amazed at some of the prayer requests that people share with you that day,” Plumlee said. “They’ve never met you and they say, ‘Hey, I’ve just lost my job.'”
Contact religion reporter Kailee Shores at kshores@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.