Church pays utility bills of over one hundred Millington & Arlington customers

 

 

L to R: Oak Spring Baptist Church Servant Leader Chester Ragland, Pastor Michael Martin and Servant Leader George Wright.

 

Oak Spring Baptist Church believes in “corporate” tithing. Just like they want their 600 members to tithe 10% of their income, the church donates 10% of its income and gives it back into the community.

Just recently, the church gave MLGW’s Gift of Comfort program a $40,000 check. The church selected 103 customers who live in the 38053 ZIP code and paid their utility bills in full.

“Everybody will be starting fresh. Some customers will have money left over in their account with a credit of $55,” said Beverly Perkins, Corporate Social Responsibility, who oversees the program. Perkins said within the past 18 months, Oak Spring has given Gift of Comfort a total of $54,000 to help people with their utility bills.

Oak Spring Pastor Michael Martin explained why: “We just feel it’s the church’s mission to help and support the community-at-large as best as we can. The church is only who she is because of the community.”

In times past, the church has paid winter utility bills for seniors over the age of 70. They didn’t want those on a limited income choosing between paying their utility bill or buying their prescription medicine.

Explained Martin, “It’s just a need we have identified. It doesn’t stop the bleeding, but it does slow it down a little bit.”