Operation Inasmuch Has Much to Celebrate

Oldest Inasmuch Volunteer

Some congregations are reluctant to conduct an Inasmuch Day because “our congregation is mostly old people and there isn’t much we can do,” they say.  Don’t try telling Jim Garrison of Christiansburg, Virginia, that.  At 102, Garrison is among the volunteers who serve the Radford, Virginia community in each Inasmuch.  In the Inasmuch events the First Baptist Church of Radford conducted in 2013 and 2014, he and his daughter, Nina Clopton, delivered lunches to some of the Inasmuch volunteers.  When asked whether he “took the lunches to the volunteers” or waited for them to pick them up, with a smile he said:  “Take ‘em to ‘em!”

oldest

At 102 Mr. Garrison is Operation Inasmuch’s oldest volunteer

Garrison’s first encounter with Inasmuch was at University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia where he and his wife were long time members.  When they moved to Radford to be closer to their son, it was only natural that they get involved in Inasmuch there, too.  As a long-time Baptist deacon, he was well acquainted with serving others.  His daughter says it has been a way of life for him.

Bob Badgett of University Baptist, Charlottesville, says:  “The Garrisons were Mr. and Mrs. UBC for 40 years!  They were involved in our first Inasmuch in 2004 and each year thereafter until they moved.  They were true servants and everybody loved them.”  Because Inasmuch has spread into other parts of Virginia, Jim Garrison can keep on serving sandwiches in his new place of residence for who knows how long! 

 

 

Inasmuch Ships Second Container of Food to Guatemala

For the second, consecutive year, the Inasmuch ministry in conjunction with Central Baptist Church, Johnson City, Tennessee, has shipped a container of food to Guatemala.  Last year Inasmuch sent more than 250, 000 meals to the Central American country and they were distributed door-to-door to indigenous Guatemalans by mission volunteers from the States for almost a year.  This year the shipment was 142,500 meals.  They will be distributed beginning in June by volunteers from Central Baptist.

David Crocker, Executive Director of the Inasmuch ministry, says:  “We are extremely pleased to have been asked to stage a number of food packing events, accumulate the food and see that they are loaded onto a container for shipment to Guatemala.  Having been part of the actual distribution of last year’s shipment, I can tell anyone that there is hardly a more satisfying experience than to give poor, hungry people good food to eat!”

The full container leaves Knoxville on the journey to Guatemala.

The full container leaves Knoxville on the journey to Guatemala.

The meals sent in this year’s shipment were packed by volunteers from the following churches:

  • Central Baptist Bearden, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Central Baptist, Johnson City, Tennessee
  • Freedom Fellowship, Greenville, Tennessee
  • Grace Presbyterian, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Tennessee

Crocker adds:  “While the packing and shipping of meals to other countries is not the primary focus of Inasmuch, it certainly is in the spirit of Matthew 25:40 and we are happy to be part of it!”

Written by:
David Crocker

3 responses to “Operation Inasmuch Has Much to Celebrate”

  1. Martha Wood says:

    Jim Garrison and his late wife, Ruth, were role models for hundreds of the children and adults at University Baptist Church in Charlottesville during the 60 some years they served the Lord among us.. Not only did they live Matthew 25 in their daily lives, they also taught us the true meaning of Micah 6: 8. Our world and our lives are richer because Jim and Ruth Garrison showed us how to do it as Jesus taught.

  2. Good information. Lucky me I found your site by chance (stumbleupon).
    I’ve saved it for later!

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