Baconton church hands out turkeys, hams

BACONTON — At least 300 families will have a ham or turkey and fresh greens for Christmas dinner this year, thanks to a small church in Baconton.

A group of volunteers from St. James Missionary Baptist Church handed out fresh greens and more than 150 turkeys and hams at the Department of Family and Children Services office in Camilla and then returned to their home church in Baconton to distribute the remaining food to friends and neighbors in their own community.

Rosa Carter, a member of St. James Missionary Baptist since the 1950s, said she looks forward to these kinds of events all year.

“We want to be a blessing,” she said.

More a dozen volunteers came from as far as Albany to assist with the food distribution.

Deborah Quimbly, an Albany resident and a nutritionist with the Dougherty County School System, doesn’t even attend the church in Baconton, but she was among the volunteers. Her brother, Erwin Price III, was celebrating his birthday by supporting his church and helping out families who might otherwise have nothing to cook on Christmas day.

“Why did I choose to do this on my birthday? I did it because there is nothing more precious than giving,” Price said.

Price currently serves as a deacon at St. James.

“Our pastor has a heart for the people, and that gets passed on to us,” he said. “It’s all about helping others and giving. Matthew 25 says we should feed the hungry, give clothes to those in need and visit those who are sick or in prison. When we do this for any one person, it is as if we do it for Jesus Himself. This verse is the motto of our church.”

St. James has been giving away hams and turkeys for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas for more than a decade. The church also holds an annual 5k run to raise educational scholarship funds that are distributed to local students. The church has given more than $10,000 in student scholarships over the past three years. Last year, an estimated 130 people participated in the 5k event.

“In the past, we have awarded funds to students in Lee County, Dougherty County and to students attending our local charter school,” the Rev. Lawrence Knighton, pastor of the church, said. “In the past, we have also used funds to sponsor a cheer camp and for DECCA business students to attend a conference.”

When distributing food, Knighton said he likes to work through the DFACS office in Camilla because “they know who has a need.” He said he contacts the DFACS office and they generate a list of families. They then mutually agree upon a distribution time and location.

This year, the church distributed about half of the turkeys and hams at DFACS and the rest in their own community. Initially, plans were to host a huge Christmas party in the park with music, a food distribution and other activities for families and children.

“The weather interfered with that,” Knighton said.

Knighton said he doesn’t always understand why more churches don’t hand out food for the holidays when the need is so great.

“A long time ago a pastor told me that what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you,” he said. “When I talk to other pastors, many of them say funds are so low that they can’t afford to give anything out, but I say we can’t afford not to give. Luke 6:38 says to give and it shall be given unto you. Eleven years ago, our church couldn’t afford to do much either. My belief is that ministries will be blessed once they learn how to give.”