Save The Family Church Ministries, Inc. is known as a small congregation with a mighty reach. Matthew 25:35-36 is one of their mottos:
“for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Led by the dynamic duo of Michael Mitchell, senior pastor and vice bishop of the Southeastern District Assembly, and Carolyn Mitchell, co-pastor, the ministry serves two locations: Goldsboro, NC, and LaGrange, NC. They offer seven major ministries: Save the Family Childcare, Nursing Home Ministry, Youth Ministry, Praise Team Ministry, Single Moms Empowerment Ministry, a Juvenile/Mentoring Ministry and Feeding the Family Food Pantry.
The church was founded in 1973 in Goldsboro and was originally called Holy Trinity Christian Church. In 2010, they changed the name to Save The Family Church Ministries. Carolyn and Michael felt it was important for the ministry to focus on the many needs of the family unit.
“We realized that our family was most important and being obedient to the Lord, we knew that family was to become the focus of our ministry,” says Carolyn.
Pastors Michael and Carolyn Mitchell welcome members of the Marine Corps Reserve, who delivered toys for the annual Toys for Tots Drive that serves youth in the LaGrange community.
According to Carolyn, Lenoir County has a poverty rate of more than 40%. In 2016 Save The Family Ministries Food Pantry partnered with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to feed approximately 3,535 individuals in 1,441 households. Additionally, Single Moms Empowerment Ministry provides clothing, resources and even acts as a surrogate in cases where children may need an adult present at an event and their mother has to work.
The Holy Spirit provided direction on next steps for the ministry. Carolyn remembers,
“Immediately following a study on Revelation, the Holy Spirit led me and my husband to visit a property in LaGrange. I had no idea where this was.”
When they reached the location, they saw a church for sale. After walking around outside and viewing the many acres of land surrounding the church, they called the number on the real estate sign. The broker instructed them where to find the key and gave the permission to go inside.
“We knew this was the place to expand our ministry,” says Michael. “A ministry of outreach to families that are in need of spiritual guidance and for advocacy against hunger.”
After prayer, they signed lease-to-own contracts with the real estate broker.
In 2015, it was by chance that the Mitchells met Bill Singer, vice president of Disciples Church Extension Fund, at a Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ District Assembly conference. During the discussion, Bill learned about the great work of Save The Family Church Ministries. He relayed the information to Belinda King, assistant vice president and building and capital services advisor for Disciples Church Extension Fund. Belinda made a consultation visit, viewed the property and witnessed some of the ministry being done in LaGrange. As a result, Disciples Church Extension Fund provided Save The Family Church Ministries with a major loan to help purchase the 5,000-square-foot church building, a 2,700-square-foot parsonage and 10 acres of land to further expand their ministry in the LaGrange community.
“What Save The Family Ministries has done is create a ministry around the needs of a demographic in LaGrange,” says Belinda. “They have established roots in this community and are doing an amazing thing.”
“We are blessed to have the help and support of our partners in this ministry, including Disciples Church Extension Fund, which has allowed us to increase our outreach efforts in the communities that we serve,” says Carolyn.