Peanut Butter Discipleship

First Assembly of God in Portland, Maine, one of the oldest Pentecostal churches in the state, is bursting at the seams. Senior Pastor Memana Abraham says he soon will be knocking on the mayor’s door in hopes of finding affordable, larger quarters to serve the burgeoning congregation, where a lifelong lobsterman might sit next to a genocide survivor from Africa.

Sunday mornings, there is standing room only during the worship service. A Rwandan Christian interprets Abraham’s sermon into French and a Syrian pastor offers Bible lessons to Muslims.

By midafternoon Sunday, the crowd swells even larger, spilling out the door and down the street as First Assembly distributes 12,000 pounds of fresh food and grocery staples each week, from local groceries and restaurants, or purchased from a local food pantry, through its Harbor of Hope outreach.

This wasn’t the case 15 years ago when Abraham, a native of India, became senior pastor. In 2000, the church’s longtime pastor died and the congregation struggled for new direction and leadership.

The new chapter started with a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and a jar of jam plus one homeless man who after the Sunday service asked Abraham, “Is there anything to eat here? I’m hungry.” Abraham confessed his church did not have food on hand, so he gave the man enough cash for a meal.

Abraham turned this encounter into a defining moment for the congregation. From that moment, Abraham vowed that anyone who is hungry at church wouldn’t leave without food.

Nine years later, this PB&J sandwich-on-demand mandate has turned First Assembly into one of the region’s largest church-based feeding ministries.

Abraham estimates that the ministry feeds more than 600 people weekly. Church volunteers collect food during the week. They sort and pack it on Saturday and distribute on Sundays. The church has no warehouse or food pantry or paid staff.

This outreach has been a lifesaver to one of Maine’s most at risk populations: African immigrants. Over the past two decades, thousands of Africans have resettled in Maine’s two largest cities, Portland and Lewiston.

Why would Africans settle in Maine, which is known as one of the least ethnically diverse of all 50 states? Among the many reasons is the number of Francophiles. About 3.7 percent of Maine residents are French speakers, one of the highest rates in the U.S. About 120 million Africans speak French as their first or second language, so it makes sense that French-speaking immigrants might head to Maine.

African immigration also has become a lifesaver of sorts for First Assembly, causing slow but steady growth. Abraham, a graduate of the AG’s Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore, India, encouraged the members of First Assembly to turn themselves outward toward people in need.

Volunteers with the feeding ministry include a 74-year-old retiree who is also a surgical nurse. “Baby” Matthew is an immigrant who donates 30 hours per week to outreach.

“There are so many people involved,” Abraham says. “God has to coordinate all of this. It is almost impossible to make this happen by human effort alone.”

As the ministry grew, relationships between churchgoers and Africans blossomed. Newcomers, many from a Muslim background, started coming to the Sunday morning service. Abraham says he consistently preached food is for the stomach, but there is greater need in life.

Over time, Africans joined Sunday worship, clapping their hands, singing praise songs, and praying. Some immigrants have accepted Jesus as Savior, been baptized, and asked how to study their Arabic-language Bibles and for Christian discipleship classes.

The church now has a worshipping congregation of about 200. That’s up from 70 people in worship 15 years ago. This is where First Assembly passes yet another milestone beyond outgrowing its limited worship space. Receivers have become givers.

Justin Nizuyumukiza, an immigrant to Maine from French-speaking Rwanda, joined First Assembly several years ago. While in Rwanda, he participated in a student-led revival movement after the 1994 genocide and was in training for youth ministry. His plans changed when the U.S. allowed him to immigrate.

Like many immigrants, Nizuyumukiza waited months before receiving his work permit.

“When I arrived in Portland, I was living in a shelter,” Nizuyumukiza says. “I was wandering around and found First Assembly of God.” Volunteers stood ready to help him.

Now, he is giving back by being one of the church’s French-English interpreters.

“When I started, there were 10 French-speaking Africans in the church,” Nizuyumukiza says. “Now there are about 50 French speakers. They listen and can understand.”

Nizuyumukiza, who also teaches the Bible in English, works as a refugee case manager during the week. He says immigrants face many challenges. Steady employment is difficult, housing is expensive, and public transportation is limited in Portland.

Abraham says God has provided other resources. A French-speaking Congolese pastor, Jean Kabwe, found his way to Portland in 2014 and soon joined the pastoral ministry team.

“People see that God loves them and cares for them and they give their hearts to the Lord,” Abraham says. “The hand of the Lord is evident and this increases our faith to trust God more.”

And that fateful loaf of bread and the jars of jelly and peanut butter? They are still available in the church basement kitchen.

Image used in accordance with CC BY 2.0 license. Photo credit: Hector Alejandro, Flickr

Timothy C Morgan

Timothy C. Morgan is the director of the Journalism Certificate Program at Wheaton College in Illinois and serves as editor-in-chief at www.MillennialInflux.com.