Submitted by: Andrew and Stacy Shanahan
Submitted by: Andrew and Stacy Shanahan
The LaFollette, Tenn., Church Company started as a church plant by the Jellico, Tenn., Church in 2000. At that time, 12 members were meeting in the home of head elder David and Judy Tate. From those humble beginnings and the faithfulness of God, this company has grown to 54 members; operates an FM radio station, WGND-LP (With Good News Daily), at 101.7 broadcasting the Gospel message 24/7; and is very active in the community of about 11,000 people. The church is currently meeting in a rented space in a strip mall, but is actively working toward a permanent worship and outreach center
Not all can go as missionaries to foreign lands, but all can be home missionaries in their families and neighborhoods, according to Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p.30. Mission outreach is the primary focus of this tiny church, and Campbell County, Tennessee, has all the challenges of a foreign mission field in the heart of Appalachia. Set against a backdrop of the idyllic Cumberland Mountains and Norris Lake, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, substandard housing, chronic health problems, and drug/alcohol/tobacco abuse are among the highest in the nation. Spiritualistic beliefs and traditionalism add to the already difficult mission work.
The radio station first started broadcasting in 2007, and while people may turn away a stranger from their door, they will turn on the radio and welcome the Good News into their home. Several members have been added to the church as a direct result. Additionally, the church holds a Reversing Diabetes class twice per year, as well as stop-smoking clinics. The church maintains a booth at public school system health fairs, hands out literature, and conducts blood pressure and body mass index screenings during National Night Out in August.
The community has taken notice of the church’s burden for the ailing, and the county health commission has even asked them to be a member of their board.
Finally, the church began providing a weekly meal at a city-run warming center, set up to provide shelter during the winter months. The church plans to continue providing a meal at their current location once the warmer weather arrives and the shelter is closed. The completion of a worship and outreach center will provide a place to meet the needs of more people, including a clothing closet and food pantry, and will offer an easy transition into the worship service.
Ellen White counsels every company of believers to build a house of worship, and encourages other churches to help (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p.100,101). The LaFollette Worship and Outreach Center was started with a land donation, and the church members have since raised funds and erected a building.
While the exterior of the new church building is complete, only wall studs provide a clue as to the potential this center will offer. A large community service room and fellowship hall will serve to meet the needs of the community. Six classrooms and a larger sanctuary will minister to the current members, and provide a home to new believers to grow in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord.
Georgia-Cumberland | April 2019
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