by Charles Lyons
Lyons: They call it Blood Hill?
Richmond: It’s an apartment complex about a half mile from where our church meets, so called because of its reputation for violence.
L: And you’ve been winning souls in Blood Hill?
R: Several years ago, I started driving food around on Fridays, giving it away in the complex. One day a woman and her boyfriend said, “Yes, pick us up Sunday.” Well, I’d heard that a thousand times. I didn’t call Saturday to confirm. The next Friday, I encountered them again. They wanted to know why I didn’t come and pick them up. We started picking them up and soon they came to Christ. Then the lady’s brother, who was the building superintendent, and his girlfriend, trusted Christ. With some spiritual growth, we were able to marry them, their four kids being witnesses. Then a new superintendent and his girlfriend got saved and we’re walking them toward marriage right now. Thirty-three people have come to church from Blood Hill with a number of them trusting Christ.
L: So is that one of the primary ways you reach new people?
R: Yep, they hear about our food bank.
L: It sounds like your ministry is hope wrapped in tragedy.
R: Last summer, as we held outreach events, we had fights in our parking lot nearly every night. One 14-year-old boy, Cameron, beat up another boy on the first night he came. Then he got saved and started coming to church. In September, he moved back to L.A. We learned just a few weeks ago he was shot and killed by another 16-year-old who wanted his iPod.
Loren Richmond and his make-it-happen wife, Kathleen, have been in East Denver since 1998. They started with some Bible studies in the YMCA. They asked the officials if they could do a dinner for the homeless. After three of these Thanksgiving dinners, they started thinking about planting a church.
In 2000, they began meeting in a home. In 2001, they began using the Y. The Y told them they could meet the first month for free.
The Y closed six and a half years ago. The church pays month to month and lives with the perpetual “For Sale” sign over their door. At one point they had no power for four weeks. For months they had to carry water in buckets to flush the toilets. But week after week, month after month, the ethnically- mixed community, with some who are doing well and many who are not, including the homeless, know that East Denver Bible Baptist is the church that cares. The congregation has some Hispanics, a few whites, but is mostly African American, averaging about 80 people. On any given Sunday, there are bound to be some in the congregation who are days away from eviction.
Last year, the church averaged about $500 a week in offerings. Loren works the graveyard shift on a fulltime security job, then works 10 hours a week at different schools as coach and referee. He doesn’t take any personal support from the church. Recognizing the missionary reality of this work, several churches provide either regular support to the church or significant help for its various projects.
Richmond finds a way to maximize all relationships for the gospel’s sake. Last summer, the Lord led him to contact Costco about picking up free bread. He was able to pick up bread four days a week. He took that bread to the Transportation Department workers and other staff for Littleton and Sheridan public schools. That gave him the opportunity to ask them to donate food for their Thanksgiving outreach. As a result, the Transportation Department donated 43 turkeys.
Richmond’s church was able to serve 700 meals with a record attendance of 210 on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. In addition, they gave out 150 food boxes with a turkey or certificate to purchase one. He gets the volunteers to come to the outreach so they hear the gospel as he shares it with those who are there to enjoy the food. He has solicited several public schools to participate in some of their projects with donations.
This June, East Denver Bible Baptist Church celebrates their eighth anniversary. Serving as selflessly as any foreign missionary, the Richmonds are doing important work in an “impossible place.” God may lead you to get in on this great venture. Loren asks us to please pray for:
- – Grace in the face of uncertainty related to their meeting site. As I write this, the water is off again.
- – Continuing manifestation of the power of the gospel to transform lives
- – Support for upcoming evangelism projects
- – Sports Camp 7/15-17
- – Neighborhood Bible Times 7/26-30
- – Back to School Outreach
- – Thanksgiving Outreach 11/21-22