Other churches reach out to community

The Pensacola News Journal/November 20, 1997
By Kimberly Blair

Pensacola -- What do other area churches do to directly help the needy?

Some examples:

Olive Baptist, Pensacola 's largest church with a membership of 7,726 and an annual budget of $4 million, makes helping the needy of the community a high priority. The church devotes at least $85,000 a year to local outreach, and Olive Baptist members repair roofs, clean yards or paint houses for people who can 't afford it otherwise, said Dave Corson, church administrator.

Circle Baptist Church in Warrington, one of Pensacola 's smallest churches with a membership of 40 and an annual budget of $39,000, makes a strong commitment to charity and outreach in its own way: It maintains a food bank and opens it to anyone in need. If the church can 't help, it refers people to agencies.

Brownsville Baptist Church, a few blocks from Brownsville Assembly of God, has a membership of 700 and an annual budget of $288,972. It spends $7,200 a year on direct local outreach and an additional $4,424 to other area ministries such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

"We have some responsibility to the community but no church is a cure-all," Pastor John Pavelus said.

Many people in the neighborhood live below or at poverty level, he said. "I do think Brownsville Assembly of God needs to be a leading major part in the community, not only physically, but spiritually minister to the total person. That goes for any church and every church," he said.