November 10, 2025
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — A couple drives to Antioch Baptist Church in Blairsville for its third Thursday of every month food and firewood distribution. They arrive, sign in, get their “ticket” for food, firewood, or both, and are asked if they want to sit down with a counselor. They agree. The counselor asks about their spiritual background and if they attend a church. The counselor shares the gospel, and the wife accepts Christ.
“It’s neat to see that coming to get a food box leads to hearing the gospel,” said pastor Sean Nix.
Volunteers witness many life situations. Those include people with no one to talk to, those who live alone, folks on fixed incomes, some who jump from house to house, persons who live in their cars, individuals who recently lost a spouse or parent, a dad who brought his handicapped son to have a conversation with someone else other than him, former business owners who are on disability benefits due to injury, and families that are going through a divorce.
“You won’t know someone's needs or if someone needs prayer unless they do come up and go to our counselors,” said Andy Mathis, who heads up the food ministry. He’s seen grandparents driving up to get food and firewood because they are raising their grandkids. Recently, he saw a lady driving a car with a leather interior picking up firewood because that is all she had.
“It’s more than just a need for food. It’s more than just a need for wood. It’s the need for personal interaction,” said Nix.
The counseling makes this ministry different from the typical food pantry type ministry. “We want to check on the emotional, spiritual, and even the physical condition of the people,” said Nix. It’s following Christ’s example of serving, he added. There is no resistance to the optional counseling. They can simply go in, get a ticket, get food or firewood, and leave.
The church budgets for the 20-year-old food ministry each year. Grace Presbyterian Church of Blairsville also provides financial support. It is also financed through donations. One donation was made because a person’s family was helped by the ministry.
The boxes are purchased from and delivered to the church by There’s Hope for the Hungry Ministries in Cumming, Ga.
Each person gets one box. Along with the box, Antioch staff distribute fresh produce, meat, vegetables, and eggs purchased separately.
Mathis estimates around 25,000 lbs. of total food are given each year. and they help around 690 families annually. Any food that is leftover from the distribution is donated to a local women’s shelter.
The ministry has taught Mathis the importance of helping and serving others. “People say thank you, and it just humbles you,” he said.
Paul Clark heads up the 17-year-old firewood ministry. The ministry gives an average of 30 truckloads of firewood each month. The record was 60 truckloads in 2012.
Clark said some people still use the wood for cooking and heat. “Two things that God has done for us through this ministry are we have never run out of split wood to donate and we’ve never run out of wood to split in our wood corral,” Clark said.
They have wood donations monthly. The ministry began when a man, who was building a house in a subdivision and was clearing the lot, asked them if they wanted the wood. The church took it, cut it, split it, and stacked it, then asked people who came for the food ministry if they wanted some firewood. It took off from there. Other churches that help with the firewood ministry include First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, Grace Presbyterian Church, Vertical Church, and Fellowship of the Hills Church.
“We always say that it is important to be the hands and feet of Christ,” said Nix. “We have folks that are passionate.”
The ministry builds relationships with the community. “It’s an outreach opportunity. If you think about the foundations of ministry, we have opportunities for evangelism and our people are engaging in hospitality and service,” said Nix.
As a new pastor of less than two years, Nix said the ministry is a powerful testimony because many volunteers have been engaged in this ministry for years, and they love their community. “It’s encouraging to me as a pastor to see how our folks are looking for any and every opportunity. It’s more than just trying to minister to the least of these; we want to share the love of Christ in our community. And, we can all do it in partnership with one another.”
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