The Frankfort-Franklin County Ministerial Association’s mission is to provide spiritual leadership for the Frankfort-Franklin County community through monthly meetings, community worship services and involvement in the social and spiritual concerns of the community. Recently, FRANK.Magazine sat down with Rev. Jack Brewer, president of the Frankfort-Franklin County Ministerial Association (FFCMA) to discuss it’s role in the community.
FRANK.: How did the FFCMA get started?
Brewer: I can give you a history of the last 22 years, starting when I came to Frankfort to be the minister at First United Methodist Church. I’ve always been a part of the ministerial associations wherever I was serving, so I joined in 1998. Dr. K. L. Moore and several others were meeting weekly to go over lectionary.
I agreed to be the vice president of the group and bring in community speakers once a month. In 2001, I took over as president and have been in that position ever since. Glenn Spaulding serves as vice president. We bring people in to talk to us about things going on in the community, to keep us in-the-know so that we can better serve our own congregations.
Our goal is to develop faith in the community by serving others.
FRANK.: Who can be a member?
Brewer: FFCMA is open to and welcomes all ministries of the Christian faith in Franklin County. Presently, there are 22 pastors participating, including representatives of United Methodist, AME, Baptist (three different denominations), Presbyterian, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Nazarene, Salvation Army, Roman Catholic, Jewish and a Community Church.
Our group includes members of both sexes, and different races. We also have fraternal relations with the Frankfort Interfaith Council which includes members of various faiths in our community.
We ask for a $10 donation to join. That money goes to advertise our two services each year. That way the donations collected at the services can go to secure a speaker for the following year.
We work mostly as a religious spokes group for the community. Each of us represents our own church and the ministerial association is a way we can cooperate on those things that we have in common. We are a very unique, close knit group. Personally, I’ve learned so much from the folks in the FFCMA. It’s a wonderful support system.
FRANK.: How does the group serve the community?
Brewer: We sponsor two community services each year. One is a Thanksgiving service on the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. The second is a Martin Luther King Jr. worship service in January.
An important service of FFCMA is to provide chaplains from the community to provide opening prayers at meetings of the Frankfort City Commission, Franklin County Fiscal Court, state legislators for both the House and Senate, and serving as hospital chaplains.
Several ministers from FFCMA serve as liaison representatives to community nonprofit organizations such as ROSM and ACCESS Men’s Shelter.
FRANK.: When do you meet?
Brewer: We meet the first Tuesday of each month, September through May, at the Salvation Army Corps building, 517 Greenup Ave. (off Reilly Road) from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
FRANK.: What has come from listening to community organizations?
Brewer: Awareness. That’s the beginning and the first step to understanding and making a difference in the community. Praying is good. Doing something is fine. But being aware of the people who are hurting in Frankfort is something I think our community needs to know.
One thing I know from living in Frankfort, is that the people here, by and large, get things done when they are aware of a need. Quite a few things have been borne out of needs and awareness. Just a couple of examples are the ACCESS Soup Kitchen and Men’s Shelter that was started because of men sleeping under the bridge or ROSM being organized because of the need to have a central place for people to turn to instead of going around to all the different churches.
My wife and I chose to stay in Frankfort after I retired from First United Methodist Church because we love the spirit of the people here. As is the case anywhere, there will always be some issues that needs to be addressed. The ministerial association is a way for those of us who are spiritual leaders to meet in fellowship, to be a presence in the community and to help our churches to be aware of the needs in Frankfort.
