Mission and Outreach the Methodist Way

It may be surprising, but not all Methodists in the state know about the following six community centers in the Mississippi conference that are in the front lines of doing mission and outreach in our state; the work they do provides indispensable mission programs to the communities being served and is central to the church’s mission and outreach work in the state.

Your church can be in mission with these folks by praying for their staff and volunteers and the thousands of men, women and children they serve; you can give of your time, treasure and talent to their mission; and you can certainly call and ask what you can do by volunteering to work alongside.

Wesley House Community Center, Meridian
Feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, healing the sick; Wesley House has been ministering to and serving the needs of the least, the last and the lost in the Meridian area since 1904. With six mission agencies under one roof consisting of Christian relief, education, child advocacy/victim’s services, free clinic and community center Wesley House is the go to place for these services to over 33,000 people in need in 15 counties surrounding Meridian.

Ginger Stevens, Director, gingerstevens@bellsouth.net – Phone 601-485-4736

St. Andrew’s Mission, McComb
SAM has been serving the McComb area since its incorporation in 1997 as a community center serving the many needs of senior citizens 55 and over as well as operating a free clinic which is staffed with doctors, nurses and clerical personnel for people of all ages. In addition it offers a special food service for handicapped seniors and a diner which is open to all and serves hot meals twice a week. SAM also operates a thrift store and provides many other services such as GED classes, parenting classes, and even a parish nurse who provides holistic health care in the community.

Ed Codding, Director, edcodding@yahoo.com – Phone 601-684-4678

Moore Community House, Biloxi
Since 1924 Moore CH has been in ministry to the Coast community in East Biloxi it provides quality childcare education and programs for community development and comprehensive family assessment and referrals. Since January, the former Biloxi Epworth United Methodist Church has been restored into a temporary facility for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years while Moore Community House completes its new child development center which was destroyed by Katrina and is now under construction; when the new center is completed Epworth will be turned over to the community as a community center. Moore offers programs to help single mothers working and/or going to school to help them gain self sufficiency including new job training programs in cooperation with HUD and the Biloxi Housing Authority.

Carol Burnett, Director, cburnett@mschildcare.org Phone – 228-669-4827

Good Shepherd Center, Vicksburg
Good Shepherd Center ministers to the least, the lost, the lonely and the last in the name of Jesus Christ through its varied ministries of daycare, GED program, free clinic and its Thanksgiving and Christmas food distribution programs.

Tommy Miller, Director, gscc@canufly.net – Phone 601-636-7687

Edwards Street Fellowship Center, Hattiesburg
Located in the southeast corner of Hattiesburg ESFC has served this low income community for almost 30 years. The center’s programs include quality multi-cultural pre-school care and educational services for children between the ages of six weeks and five years; a recently built food pantry has increased its capacity to provide food assistance to over 125 families each week; Cub, Boy Scout and Girl Scout children 6-16 meet here; and there are special programs to help girls’ develop their unique gifts and self image take place here; computer classes and social activities for older adults are also offered through ESFC.

Iva Brown, Director, esfcenter@comcast.net – Phone 601-544-6149

Bethlehem Center, Jackson
The Bethlehem Center is a National Mission Institution related to the United Methodist Church. Serving in one of Jackson’s poorest neighborhoods for the past 70 years, the Center serves low-income families and individuals through affordable quality childcare, a free income tax assistance program, a counseling center, and various community development initiatives. Recently it has expanded its program to include an infant room.

Tajuana Thicklen, Program Director, bethlehemcenter601@live.com – Phone 601-355-0224