“You find a church on every corner, but a ministry is very hard to find,” said Dr. Eddie Stewart, pastor of Union Missionary Baptist Church in Columbiana. Since he took over as pastor last year, the church has begun several new ministries that are already impacting the community.

The church’s food pantry ministry has generated so many donations that Stewart’s wife Tenette got some people together and began loading the food into a van and delivering it door-to-door in underprivileged neighborhoods and retirement homes.

“People want to feel like you care about them, love them and are concerned,” she said.

In addition to food donations from the community, the pantry also receives donations from corporate sponsors such as Publix in Alabaster and Calera.

Stewart said that the pantry is always taking donations, however. He said that food and money are both needed and appreciated.

Any person in need may go to the church, located on Shelby County 47, at any time of the day to pick up food or clothing.

Stewart said people from all walks of life come in and pick up items they need, including some people who drive nice cars such as Mercedes.

“Poverty doesn’t look at your lifestyle when it decides to invade,” he said.

The church also takes new or gently-used clothing to use in their clothing ministry, a “store” set up with racks and shopping bags in a back room of the church.

“People can get as many clothes as they can fit into a paper bag, and they may give a two dollar donation if they’d like,” Stewart said.

The Stewarts have seen the church grow exponentially since they moved here from Atlanta last year, and they have more big plans to keep it moving forward.

They already bring an entire church service to a local nursing home one weekend a month, and plans are already in motion to clear more than five acres of land behind the church to build a family life center that will allow more room for the food and clothing ministries.

For more information or to donate, visit the church or call 669-9810.

“I’m in the business of people,” Stewart said. “I want to take care of them spiritually as well as physically.”