For more than three decades, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, TN, has embodied what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in times of crisis. Since 1992, the church’s Disaster Response Team has traveled across 14 states, primarily in the Southeast, clearing debris and removing fallen trees after tornadoes and hurricanes devastate communities.
Today, this ten-member team of trained and certified responders continues that faithful work with their own fleet of trucks, trailers, and specialized equipment. But their ministry extends far beyond storm recovery.
When disaster takes quieter forms – like the food insecurity affecting communities across Tennessee – St. Mark’s responds with the same dedication. Team members regularly travel across the state, collecting food donations from the Society of Saint Andrews, delivering hope to places like Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky, and supporting Nourish food bank and Habitat for Humanity’s Legacy Pointe subdivision in Murfreesboro.
This November, their impact reached even further.
The team prepared 288 boxes of non-perishable food for Rutherford County residents and distributed them at a drive-through event on November 15. Just days earlier, they answered another urgent call. After connecting with the chaplain at Fort Campbell, the team learned the base’s food pantry (which St. Mark’s had previously supported through their Support Our Soldiers ministry) was completely depleted. Within days, they purchased and delivered 144 boxes of food to Fort Campbell, ensuring military families had the support they needed.
St. Mark’s Disaster Response Team demonstrates how discipleship transforms communities. Their work reflects our conference’s commitment to our Discipleship Priorities and the call to love our neighbors in tangible, sacrificial ways.
Information and photos submitted by Paul Givins.
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