The History of the “Feed My Sheep” Ministry

(As told by Mrs. Minnie Burden)

The “Feed My Sheep” Ministry at Perry, Georgia’s St. James CME Church started with a “Desire to help the needy”…to provide food and clothing to the needy in the African American community of Perry. In 1998, several women members of St. James CME (all retirees) approached the Church with a proposal to start a food ministry, and the proposal was accepted. At that time, there were five women who were retirees – Mrs. Minnie Burden, Mrs. Anna Mae Lumpkin, Mrs. Rebecca Griffin (now deceased), Mrs. Gloria Ragin and Mrs. Catherine Ingram. These five were later joined by, Mrs. Lelia Felton, Mrs. Emma Bannister, Mrs. Gaynell Lumpkin, Mrs. Selena Pitmon and Mrs. Annie Johnson. Their mission was to provide needy families with balanced, nutritious meals, and when they first started the program, they took food from their own personal pantries in order to cook for and feed 20 families. Today, they feed at least 25 families, some of which include handicapped persons, and many homebound senior citizens. The ladies of this ministry are True Christians, in that, their concern does not stop at the delivery of food to the people they serve, they have gotten to know each family. If they don’t get an answer when they knock on the door or ring the bell, they don’t just walk away. They look in windows, call out names, knock louder and ring longer…until they get an answer or a response. If they don’t get a response, they talk to each other to determine if something is wrong. Sometimes, they have to physically help their recipients into a chair, or bed. (One recipient is 100 years old). And they even fill special requests (one recipient wanted fish…and it was delivered by Mrs. Ingram).

The “Feed My Sheep” Ladies have developed a “Sisterhood” that is evident at first glance to anyone who is fortunate (or privileged) enough to be granted permission to watch them “at work”. They pray together, laugh at and with each other, inquire about each other’s children and lift each other’s spirits while they go about “God’s Business” in the fulfillment of the mission…

They are a “Special Group”, to be sure.

Psalms; 28:9 ~ “Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance;

feed them also, and lift them up forever.”