Food & Faith in United Methodist Churches
About a year ago, we ended up with a last-minute mess of donated collard greens we wanted to serve at our takeout lunch ministry. We knew just who to call for guidance. JaNaé Swanson-Brown says she learned to cook her Southern-soul collards by first watching her mother and grandmother in Millen, Georgia, and then perfecting... Continue Reading →
“It’s not gourmet. It’s just simple.” That what Ann Low Reego said about the shrimp creole recipe she shared with us, along with a love story to make us smile. This dish really is easy to make, and the results are simply lovely – lovely enough to serve on Valentine’s Day for 47 years in... Continue Reading →
Remember community dinners before COVID-19? Those days will return, and I'll bet they'll be even more successful and appreciated. I saw this wonderful video from United Methodist Communications more than a year ago. A pastor in Toledo, Ohio, opened up his house to offer "LifeLine Toledo," a big dinner ministry reaching people well beyond the... Continue Reading →
A month ago, we went on a quest for a great broccoli salad to serve at our free community drive-thru lunch. Several tasty suggestions were shared, but we chose this recipe from the collection of a 102-year-old woman who lived in Kenbridge, Virginia. We didn’t expect all of our 90 guests to like it, but... Continue Reading →
Sometimes our blog stories inspire great video stories! On April 9, a Knoxville news station did a story follow-up on Macy Mitchell, the schoolteacher who makes home-cooked meals for senior citizens and others who can’t get out during the pandemic. Macy is a member at Bearden United Methodist Church. We featured Macy’s cooking ministry on... Continue Reading →
Like most of you, I’m separated from family during the coronavirus pandemic. Both of my adult sons live alone right now, trying to stay away from germs while struggling with the social isolation. One is staying in Chattanooga. One is in downtown Knoxville, right next to Church Street United Methodist Church. One is unemployed because... Continue Reading →
When the churches were closed due to coronavirus, a couple of youth members at Rye Cove United Methodist Church didn’t want to stop reaching out to the community. Allison Vincent, age 12, and Lindsey Vincent, age 11, are part of a youth group that “absolutely loves to cook,” says their mother. Cooking has been a... Continue Reading →
Macy Mitchell is making it happen. She’s doing what so many other people are doing right now. She found a need during the coronavirus pandemic and is using her gifts and passion to fill it. Macy says it all started when she checked on her 83-year-old grandfather, who admitted he was depressed. “What can I... Continue Reading →
It starts with thousands of potatoes that were dropped on the parking lot at Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, on a chilly Saturday morning in January. The potatoes were gleaned by the Society of St. Andrew, which redistributes produce that would otherwise end up in landfill, so that it can be used to... Continue Reading →
These photos are so beautiful, they remind me of a glossy food magazine. Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, took advantage of some resources in their congregation to create a Farmhouse Supper Mission Fundraiser on July 20. The house belongs to Jodi and Terry Savage, members at Concord who built a new home that... Continue Reading →
The Call to Cook 