PONTOTOC, Miss. (BP and local reports) – Going back at least a quarter-century, First Church, Pontotoc, has called on its people to deliver a Thanksgiving meal with a local holiday staple from their own kitchens for those unable to be with family or cook on their own.
“Our goal is to show love and compassion to shut-ins and those who may not be able to afford a meal,” said Ken Hester, First Church’s pastor since 2000 and immediate past president of the Mississippi Baptist Convention. “This reaches across all kinds of denominational, economic, and racial lines and is great at unifying the community.”
“This reaches across all kinds of denominational, economic, and racial lines and is great at unifying the community.”
Ken Hester, pastor of First Church, Pontotoc
Something that began as an outreach exclusively through First Church has grown to include several other churches in the area. The Thursday before Thanksgiving each year, volunteers deliver meals consisting of turkey and dressing, string beans, rolls, dessert, and — of course — sweet potato casserole from the self-described Sweet Potato Capital of the World.
The Feeding of the 5,000, as the outreach is called, refers to Jesus feeding a crowd in need (Matthew 14:13-21). “We strive to reach through the compassion of Jesus rather than the number,” Hester explained. “The key for us is to look beyond ourselves and actually see with divine compassion on the need in front of us.
“We can easily get caught up in our own lives and miss the needs of our neighbors. The Feeding of the 5,000 enables us to travel outside our social circles and love on those around us with a practical expression of God’s love.”
In its early years, 500-700 meals would be distributed throughout the Pontotoc community (population: 6,343). That number has grown to around the 3,000 mark now. On Nov. 18, the event provided 2,784 meals.
First Church supplies most of the funding with other churches helping, but the sweet potato contribution is a matter of faith, Hester pointed out.
“We trust that the Lord is going to take care of that. If we take the faith element out of this, it kind of takes the richness out of it,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve thought we’re going to run out of sweet potato casserole and a car pulls up with someone bringing another pan or two.”
In 2003, it became apparent that there wasn’t going to be enough dressing for the 2,600 meals to be delivered. Church member Floyd McCullough immediately volunteered to drive to Memphis and bring back dressing that was available there.
He returned three hours later and, in what could easily be the origin story for some kind of Mississippi Santa, drove around to divvy up the dressing for those waiting — a close tie to Matthew 14:20 in particular.
“He shucked out dressing everywhere,” Hester said of McCullough, who has since passed away. “We were down to our last pan when he arrived, but ended up with one left over at the end of the day. It was fantastic. I get weepy eyes about it.”
The point of the ministry opportunity isn’t to make First Church look good, Hester stressed — it’s about building up God’s kingdom and letting others know there’s a Savior who loves and provides. Adults and children doing the giving and those receiving the gift all experience that message.
“At the end of the day, everyone feels good about it,” Hester said. “People are exhausted, but they know they made a difference.”
