Church plans ministry to fix local homes

Sometimes a wall isn't just a wall.

The Old Testament prophet Nehemiah proved it when he set out to rebuild Jerusalem, which lay in ruin, and in turn restored the people of the city, said the Rev. Greg DeLoach, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Augusta.

By the end of summer, First Baptist hopes to launch a project in the spirit of Nehemiah, one that would repair homes of low- and moderate-income families in the city.

The Nehemiah Challenge will be similar to World Changers, a Baptist ministry that has over the past 10 years equipped thousands of teens to repair homes across the nation. The First Baptist project, however, won't be limited to one week a year.

The first week of repairs is scheduled for Sept. 12-19. A second will follow in October, with more every few weeks or months after that. The church is assembling teams to pray, visit with homeowners, make lunch for work crews, paint, roof, repair, build ramps and tend yards.

"We've never done anything on this scale before," said Kelly Hamilton, the minister of missions and faith development and the leader of the challenge.

The church hopes to form a partnership with Augusta's Housing and Community Development Department to identify homes in need of repair.

"We're not asking them for money," the Rev. DeLoach said. "We're just asking them to show us where."

There are plenty of homeowners who could use the assistance, said Chester Wheeler, the director of the housing department.

"There's an overabundance of homeowners who need home repairs," he said. "There's a real need."

First Baptist is appointing team leaders, who will recruit for projects. Other churches are invited to join in.

"It needs to be bigger than us. It needs to be bigger than First Baptist Church," the Rev. Hamilton said.

The concept's been developing for three years, and now was the time to launch, the Rev. DeLoach said.

"Regardless of economic times, perhaps because of it, people understand that to those much have been given, much is required," he said.

"We are made up of very blessed people who want to live out their gratitude in very practical ways."

First Baptist broke ground in June on a $10.1 million expansion. Its campus on Walton Way Extension will include a new chapel and fellowship hall, scheduled for completion in 18 to 24 months.

The Nehemiah Project helps ensure that as First Baptist invests in facilities, the church invests in the community, the Rev. Hamilton said.

"That's key for us," he said. "There are people here who have the means to make a difference and who have the heart to make a difference."

The Rev. DeLoach puts it this way: "I think people, when they see the need, they genuinely want to help. When we are engaged in the life of the least and the last and the lost, that is where Christ is."

Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.