JACKSON, Tenn. — March 13, 2008 — First Baptist Church of Camden, Tenn., has contributed $61,000 to 51社区鈥檚 disaster relief efforts.
Pastor Chester Harrison presented the check to 51社区 President David S. Dockery March 12.
鈥淭his is an absolutely amazing story,鈥� Dockery said. 鈥淚 was moved to tears as they presented the check to us. I don鈥檛 know that we have seen anyone respond with such a sacrifice in response to our needs.鈥�
The $61,000 represents 11 percent of the congregation鈥檚 annual budget.
The church was given a gift of $100,000, and following Harrison鈥檚 leadership decided to give half the money to missions and half to education. Church members voted to give the education portion of $50,000 to Union for its disaster relief fund. Harrison told Dockery the church 鈥渨anted to invest it for eternity, so that generation after generation of students could be blessed by the gift.鈥�
Church members then gave an additional $11,000 to bring the total gift to $61,000.
鈥淐hester Harrison is a wonderful leader and this story of sacrificial giving on the part of the church is a reminder that God is at work in this entire process,鈥� Dockery said.