Community Corner
Their Faith Binds Them
Members of the Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association meet monthly for food, fellowship, and service.
Once a month, the Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association (CCMA) hosts lunch and a time of fellowship for pastors and ministry leaders from different denominations. They support and encourage one another, and work together on mission projects.
President , senior pastor at Canton’s , describes the CCMA as a church without walls.
“We are a Christian organization,” Goodwin said. “We’re about Jesus.”
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The group includes Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal and nondenominational churches as well as nonprofit organizations. It was started in 1915 by several Canton ministers, and has continued meeting uninterrupted.
The purpose is to provide a means for the Christian community to act in unison on areas of interest and concern in Cherokee County, and to provide fellowship for ministers of the gospel.
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Sean Allen, a member of Gideons International and secretary for the CCMA, started attending meetings as a way to develop relationships with pastors in the area served by the Gideons, an association that shares the Good News through personal witnessing and more. After one visit, Allen was asked to speak about the ministry of the Gideons.
“I have found the CCMA meetings to be a refreshing place where pastors of churches and ministry leaders are free to talk, and share their challenges together in a relaxing environment,” he said. “It is a place where brothers dwell together in unity, and where no minister is looked down upon for the way in which he or she heeds the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a place which enables the formation of inter-denominational friendships and partnerships that are otherwise not possible in any other ministerial association I have known.”
FAST FACTS
The luncheon meetings are held the last Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Java Espresso House, 6895 Victory Dr., Acworth. For more information, visit www.cherokeeministers.org or call Goodwin at 770-479-5280.
A March 1 event, Body By God, has been designed to help clergy and church leaders learn about exercise and nutrition as well as how to reduce stress and effectively manage time. Goodwin and Woodstock chiropractic and wellness coach Dr. Eric Richards will lead the session, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Church of the Messiah, 415 Charles Cox Dr., Canton. The cost is $15.
Editor's note: A version of this story previously appeared in the January edition of The Cherokee Vine, a monthly newsletter that highlights news and events from churches, ministries and charitable organizations in Cherokee County.
