Home Care In Leasburg, NC

By Amelia Foster

Caswell Messenger News Correspondent Beulah Baptist Church Community Garden of 3027 NC-119, Leasburg is now opened to all communities. Free vegetables are ready for harvesting with added bonuses, a visible walking trail from the main highway, and a children’s playground for family enjoyment.

Beulah’s Community Garden encourages community investment as a common goal, thus bringing people together who might not otherwise interact so closely. According to Pastor. Dr. Jerry O. Wilson, Sr., one of the outcomes of this garden creation is getting to know your neighbors, learning to look out for them, praying for each other, and enjoying the added benefits of building new friendships and partnerships within our community.

Beulah’s community garden creates an “all are welcome” atmosphere, where people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and occupations can come together and work side-by-side with diverse peers.

With reaping heathy benefits, eating a diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables has a positive impact on our lives that substantiates one of the major rationales for Beulah’s community garden. According to research, physical activity is higher among people who enjoy gardening. Eating more fresh produce is associated with better self-esteem, mood, and general health. People who enjoy fruits and vegetables often experience reduced stress and improved resilience. “Seniors love our gardens because it helps with their grocery bills. Many with fixed incomes are pleased to get free, fresh vegetables. The Lord continues to supply our needs,” says Martha Arrington, a Beulah Church member. “Some say that I have a green thumb, however, I believe that it is all about the outreach of God, said Robert Hooker, Master Gardener for the Beulah Baptist Church, said with a smile.

Something to consider. If the seed is now planted; when will the harvest come? “Again, he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is one of the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:31-33 NIV). From a Biblical point of view, before we can begin to reap, any harvest, the seed must be planted first. Planting of a seed can be used to describe many things in life. Truthfully, without the seed, nothing grows. But if that seed is to grow there must be some outside forces reacting to allow the natural course of events to continue. How we cultivate our seeds is so important. We must have paramount faith. Faith is beyond feelings (Hebrews 11:1 KJV),” said Pastor Wilson.

Ready for harvesting in Beulah’s Community Garden are a variety of tomatoes, okra, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, and other seasonal vegetables available throughout the summer and fall. Their big, juicy tomatoes are in full season. Most everyone enjoys making tomato sandwiches, the perfect sandwich for a sizzling summer day. A slice or two of a big, red tomato nestled between two slices of bread, maybe a little dab of sugar, pinch of salt, pepper, and mayonnaise, will satisfy your appetite. Ask a nutritionist. They probably will tell you that tomatoes are called superfoods, a nutritious fruit with an excellent source of vitamin C and Vitamin K. Plus, tomatoes have lots of fiber. Can you go wrong eating a fat, juicy tomato sandwich?

Please visit Beulah’s Community Garden today and stock up on free fruits and vegetables. All are welcome to Beulah’s Community Garden, Walking Trail, and the Playground. The hours of operation include seven days a week, apart from services held at the church, from sunup to dusk.

For more information about the Beulah’s Community Garden, please contact Pastor Dr. Jerry O. Wilson, Sr., at 314- 4978 or Robert June Hooker, Master Gardener or Nicholas Poole, Gardener Assistant at 743-421-8209.

Like any pastor, LaTonya McIver Penny is busy.

But this minister’s calendar goes above and beyond busy.

In addition to leading New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Roxboro, N.C., and all that entails, Penny is a mother of two and runs a non-profit advocating for the respectful and compassionate treatment of children with disabilities in churches.

LaTonya McIver Penny. (Photo/Courtesy of LaTonya Penny)

“The deficiency in many churches is they don’t know what to do with children who are different,” she said.

Penny also is a bi-vocational minister, overseeing the day-to-day operations of a local domestic violence agency and shelter.

“That also is a calling. It is a ministry,” she said.

And like other women pastors, Penny confronted her share of opposition from those who say females should not be pastors.

Penny spared a few minutes between a hastily eaten Chick-fil-A lunch and her next appointment to share her experiences with Baptist News Global.

Was church a big part of your life growing up?

Yes, very much so. I grew up in a small church, Mill Hill Baptist Church in Leasburg, N.C. It was a good old Missionary Baptist church. And it was foundational to me. I was in church every Sunday. That is part of what we did as a family.

When did you hear a calling to ministry?

I knew when I was younger, in my teen years, but it was something that I couldn’t put my finger on. … When I was 21, I realized I was called into ministry.

What kind of guidance did you get from other ministers at the time?

When I went to my particular pastor, I was directed that women just don’t preach. Others said maybe I was called into education or called to teach. I got a master’s in education because I was misdirected. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my calling. I knew it was preaching.

When were you ordained?

I was licensed in ministry in 2009. That was before ordination. …. When I was at Wake Forest [School of Divinity], I changed my membership to Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem where I got solid biblical teaching and was taught that women could be pastors. … When I sat before the ordination council in December 2014, it was a Friday. I was ordained that Saturday, and I became the pastor on Sunday at New Mount Zion, where I am now. And it was my birthday that Monday. I had quite a busy weekend.

How did you feel when you were told women couldn’t preach?

I was confused. I knew God was calling me to ministry and to preach and to teach; however, I had never witnessed a woman preach before. As I was getting my masters in teaching … I finally saw a woman preaching. She was a senior pastor, and she was amazing.

Have you experienced any pushback being a female pastor from your congregation or the local community?

For my congregation, it is a badge of honor. The church is 117 years old and in the city of Roxboro. I am the first African-American female elected pastor. For some it was a stretch of faith: “Can she lead and be biblically sound?” The more I love and teach them, the more they have come to embrace it. … In the community, nothing has ever been said to me, but it has happened to members of my congregation. Usually, a male speaking to another male, saying it’s against the Bible and “Y’all are going to hell.” My people will say, “Show me where she can’t be a preacher.”

You said you are the first elected black female pastor. Are there some who are not elected?

Yes. There have been women who have started their own churches but not elected to existing churches.

What does being a bi-vocational minister look like for you?

I am the executive director of Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, Inc. It is a domestic violence agency. We do domestic violence prevention and support for victims. We also operate a shelter. We are a nonprofit. … For me, it is a ministry. I may not be saying the word ‘God,’ but I am helping people be their best selves and to empower women and men to love themselves. It’s a ministry — you just don’t get to use the Bible.

What difficulties or blessings does being bi-vocational present to you?

I work full-time. … I may not be available for things I wish I could be available for, but it’s flexible. Because I am the executive director, I control my schedule. … I do Bible study every Wednesday night. I do hospital visits. I just carry a laptop and work from the hospital.