BENTON, Ky. (KT) – Oak Level Missionary Baptist Church has a membership of 60, with an average weekly attendance of 35.
But the small country church gave more than $30,000 to local organizations and churches in the waning weeks of 2021 — and nearly a third of those funds were pledged to aid tornado relief efforts in their community and to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital on Sunday, Dec. 13.
Pastor C.C. Brasher, a former KBC vice president who recently celebrated a monumental 60 years in faithful ministry, said Oak Level voted to give funds to organizations with resources they don’t have as a smaller congregation.
“They (have) the ability (and) the facility to take care of those needs, but we have money to help them do it,” Brasher explained.
“We’ve got some good tithers,” said June, Brasher’s wife.
New Zion Baptist Church, which is housing relief workers in Sunday school rooms and feeding those volunteers three times a day, received $2,000. Marcella’s Kitchen in Benton, Ky., a volunteer-driven community kitchen, was given $2,000 to fund their work. Another ministry in Mayfield, Ky., also received $2,000.
The churches Brasher pastors have a history of generosity. He led Briensburg Baptist Church in Benton for 30 years and said they were among the leaders in giving at that time.
During his long ministry tenure, Brasher said he’s never seen anything like the damage caused by December’s tornadoes.
“This is just a tragic thing, and it’s really tore up the community,” Brasher said. “I’m just hoping that all the churches would get in here and help so the Lord can be glorified and honored instead of other organizations.”
The building where Brasher’s congregation meets narrowly escaped the destruction experienced by so many other structures in the Benton community. There was tornado damage on both sides of the church, but the building was spared.
Oak Level will continue to minister to their community and help wherever needs arise as the ongoing work of putting Benton back together commences.
“Pray that we’ll be able to reach out financially and physically to people around us,” Brasher said. “It’s a harder time now then it’s ever been before, as far as I’m concerned, to reach people. And if you help them in times of trouble, sometimes it gives you an open door to reach them spiritually.”