Johnstown churches offer food, clothing for residents | Popgen Tech

December 18 – Two Johnstown churches opened their doors on Saturday to feed and clothe the cold and homeless.

Missionary Angie March served hot meals from 3 to 6 pm at the non-denominational House of God Church in Hornerstown. The menu included turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread and chili.

For several years, the annual Christmas meal was served outside at a nearby car wash, but that lot was sold and the car wash demolished.

“I like giving outside more than giving inside,” March said. – It was so nice, even in the cold.

Inside or outside, March said she’s happy to serve.

“It makes me happy to see other people happy,” said March, a one-time resident of Brooklyn and Queens, New York. “I went through hard times when I was young. It taught me that this is my calling. No matter how little it seems, it means a lot to someone else. I am grateful to God that he gave me the opportunity to do this.”

Angie March’s husband, Bishop David March, said his father founded the church in 1967. It started in his basement on New Street in Johnstown Avenue. They soon bought a building on Hickory Street in Hornerstown.

The church is not denominational, an old term once found in the dictionary, he said. Today, many churches call themselves non-denominational. The Church believes in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the apostles experienced in the sanctuary on the day of Pentecost.

The Christmas meal is for the homeless and those living in shelters, but Bishop March emphasized that everyone is welcome and that the service feeds the body and soul.

“This ministry is mainly about bringing someone to Christ,” he said.

At Christ Centered Community Church on Somerset Street in Kernville, Johnstown resident David Platt sorted through tables piled high with clothes.

“I found a pair of jeans and a couple of groceries,” he said. – I’m also looking for something for my girlfriend.

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The Christmas raffle took place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There were clothes for men, women and children. The offerings included coats, hats, gloves and hats.

The church will host its annual community dinner on Christmas Day. Platt says she’s looking forward to being a part of it.

“I’ve been to dinners before,” Platt said. – I really like to come here.

Church elder Brandon King said that this is all part of the mission of serving Christ. He drew attention to the words of Jesus from the Gospel according to Matthew: “I was hungry and you fed Me. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. I was homeless and you gave Me a room. I was trembling and you gave me clothes. .. I was sick and you stopped by to visit. I was in prison and you came to me. … Any time you did any of that to someone who was overlooked or ignored, it was me — you did it to me.”

“We have to keep going back to the grassroots and doing the mission of the church,” King said. “It means helping those who are the least, the last and the abandoned.”