I had a great visit this week with John Fergusson, Executive Director of Jefferson Street Baptist Center. In their own words, Jefferson Street Baptist Center is a ministry of Southern Baptists extending gospel-centered mercy to the homeless and hurting of the greater Louisville area. Officials estimate that each year roughly 9,000 people in the Louisville area find themselves homeless.
Jefferson Street Baptist Center ministers to the homeless population in a number of ways. They provide food, housing, free daily storage of personal items, mail service, a counseling and addiction recovery program, career training, and job placement assistance. While many would classify such efforts as “social ministry,” Jefferson Street is unapologetically evangelical and doctrinally Southern Baptist, presenting the gospel as the ultimate hope for everyone they serve.
Unlike many social ministries, Jefferson Street accepts no government funding so they are able to remain unhindered in their primary mission: to share the gospel of Christ. John Fergusson, who serves as Executive Director of Jefferson Street, is a jointly funded KBC/NAMB missionary. The various ministries provided under his leadership are funded through SBC Hunger Relief funds, as well as donations from the Long Run Baptist Association, Eliza Broadus State Missions Offering, local churches, and concerned individuals.
How can you be on mission with Jefferson Street? They gladly accept the assistance of individuals and mission teams from local churches ready to serve food, paint and renovate, or simply engage the guests and residents in conversation and invite them to church. You can also attend their Mercy Banquet on September 23 to learn more about the ministry and ways to support it. Information on the Mercy Banquet can be found at www.jeffersonstreet.org.
Read more about Jefferson Street here:
- Transformation of Jefferson Street Center Continues
- ‘Jeff Street’ Helps Connect Homeless to ‘True Life’
