Breaking Ground in Nada

April 11, 2007

NADA, KY—“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” read John Owen, pastor of First Baptist Winchester and the Nada Baptist Mission. He continued from Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

Using the steps of the Nada Mission as his rostrum, Owen offered scripture and led the invocation for a gathering of local residents, county officials, and staff from the offices of U.S. Representatives and the Governor of Kentucky.

Nada served as the springboard for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s work in Eastern Kentucky because of the presence of the mission church there. CBF, Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, and First Baptist Winchester have continued to work in Nada as a part of CBF’s rural poverty initiative called “Together for Hope.”

A monumental occasion for the residents of Nada, the ground-breaking ceremony marked the launch of a much anticipated sewer project. However, the sewer line is only the beginning of a much larger community development project in the making. Bryan Kirby of the Community Economic Development Association (CEDA) is spearheading an effort to procure a Community Development Block Grant which will radically transform the quality of housing in the small community. Partnered with CEDA for this project are Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises out of Berea, Community Housing out of Winchester, and Kentucky Baptist Fellowship. KBF will utilize volunteer teams to tackle some of the housing repair projects, which will help stretch the grant money to affect more families. “It’s nice to think we had a small part in this,” said Owen.

If you or your church would like to be involved in ministry in Nada, please contact Rhonda Abbott Blevins at 502-426-1931, or send an e-mail to rhonda@kybf.org.