By Rev. Dr. John Purdue
In January FreshSTART, a recovery ministry of the TWKUMC, asked sister United Methodist churches for the donation of a vehicle to help them grow their dynamic work. Dr. John Purdue, pastor at Calvert City UMC, recognized this as an opportunity to act on 1 Peter 4:10 “As good stewards of the multi-faceted grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
Shortly afterwards, with great joy and excitement, the Admin Council at Calvert voted to donate their bus. Just a week later, the bus was on its way to Columbia after folks from Calvert gathered for one last ride on the bus, a prayer of rededication, a prayer and singing:
“The wheels on the bus go round and round… all through the town.
The people on the bus are blessed by God… all through the town.”
Dedra Campbell, the director of FreshSTART, said: “Amidst the deep divide affecting the United Methodist Church, the generous act of donating a church bus by Calvert City UMC serves as a beacon of unity and compassion, demonstrating the power of connectional ministry especially in times of uncertainty. We are grateful to serve in a church that recognizes the need for connection regardless of the distance.”
And 36 hours after the van left for FreshSTART, high winds damaged the awning the bus was parked under. A support beam fell and would have likely broken the windshield. But God had other plans.