Volunteers perform work for local churches
They came to offer a hand. A group of missionaries from Illinois recently visited the area, performing volunteer work for two local churches.
The Rev. Ewing Marietta, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in North Union Township, explained that a group of 43 missionaries came to Fayette County at the beginning of the month from Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria.
The volunteers helped Liberty Baptist Church by laying concrete for a driveway, painting, installing flooring in the bathrooms and helping with electrical work as well as soffit and fascia.
“They don’t know how to stop,” said Marietta.
They installed a metal roof on Mountainview Christian Church in Lemont Furnace and performed roof work for two Uniontown families. The missionaries undertook other projects at Mountainview Christian that included painting a ramp for the physically disabled and doors. They also put in a French drain at the church with the help of local volunteers who also provided a backhoe.
Marietta’s son, Andrew, 18, also volunteered a couple of days at Mountainview Christian to help with these projects.
The church said they were appreciative of the work these volunteers performed.
Marietta explained the missionaries came to the area through their shared affiliation with the Southern Baptist Church. An area official contacted Marietta when she heard that Liberty Baptist was planning to build a youth worship center in memory of his son Marcus Marietta, who died in July 2009 at age 18 as a result of an automobile accident on Route 40 near Jumonville Road in North Union Township.
“Calls came from all over,” said Marietta, referring to Southern Baptist congregations who wanted to help.
When Marietta explained the church didn’t yet have enough money for the building, the Woodland Baptist congregation told him they were coming anyway.
“They’re a great bunch of people – just awesome,” said Marietta. “The funny thing is that’s exactly what Marcus would have wanted – to help out anyone he could.”
The Illinois missionaries spent a week helping Liberty Baptist and local families. They agreed to work at Mountainview Christian after Marietta learned the Lemont Furnace church needed help with its roof. Marietta has been preaching at Mountainview along with several other ministers while the church is searching for a new pastor.
“They really tackled a lot,” said Marietta of the Illinois missionaries.
The group remained in the area about seven days, staying at a local hotel and eating meals prepared by Liberty Baptist and Mountainview Christian congregation members.
“They were all ages – as young as five years old and someone was 72,” said Marietta of the volunteers.
In addition, Marietta said a church in Alabama and one in South Carolina are sending missionaries to the area this summer to do more projects, including a Vacation Bible School at Liberty Baptist and backyard Bible clubs in the area as well as helping a local family with carpentry on their house.
“This is a real blessing indeed,” said Marietta. “At a time of grief, we’ve received a lot of blessings. These folks came out of nowhere.”
Asked what the kindness of these churches tells him about people, Marietta said, “They’re willing to do whatever it takes to share the love of Christ with someone else.”