| Several years ago, Jimmy Gately, an ordained minister, was living in East Tennessee. He was frustrated that throughout east Tennessee there were so many churches and government programs available, yet there were so many folks falling through the cracks and remaining in hard-core and hard-living lifestyles. His desire was to make a positive difference and change in the lives of the many heavily burdened and forgotten people of society. Jimmy wanted to make a difference so strongly that he took out life insurance policies designating the proceeds be used to help establish an outreach ministry to the bruised and brokenhearted people of East Tennessee. Shortly after his untimely death a couple years later, the Community of Christ used the proceeds to lead the efforts of organizing such a needed ministry. The Chattanooga Urban Ministries is a result of this effort and now leads a neighborhood-based, helping hands ministry in East Chattanooga and other areas of Hamilton County, Tennessee. Today, there are several hundred people receiving a wide-range of assistance and life-improving ministries as a result of these efforts each month. There people also are participating weekly in neighborhood worship and community outreach activities. The ministry is focused on the hard-living and the hard-core lost. It is focused on reaching out and making a strong positive impact on the poor and down hearted. Inter-racial, inter-generational, and inter-denominational outreach is occurring daily. A new ministry center has been remodeled to serve as a community center in an East Chattanooga neighborhood. A mobile home has been purchased to serve as a base of a children's community outreach ministry for mobile home parks in Hamilton County. Outreach ministries also are occurring in Cleveland, Hixson, and several other places in the area. There are three motto's used in this ministry. They are: * "Our Victory Lies in Our Invitation.... Invite daily;" * "The Gospel is Not Just About Me;" * "If you Want Real Peace, Be a Worker for Justice." The funding left from the Gately proceeds is gone now but the work continues through the efforts of crumb donors. A crumb donor makes monthly donations to keep this ministry alive and growing. "Each One To Reach One" is the current call to action in the Community of Christ. This same call to reach new people is what brought about the Chattanooga Urban Ministries. |
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| Chattanooga Urban Ministries History |