Carrying out our Lord’s Great Commission is of paramount importance to the elders of Old Hickory at both the local and international levels. World-wide vision has resulted in our congregation assisting in good works throughout the globe with monthly support being given to five regular international works and three works in the USA.
Currently we assist efforts in Brazil, Hungary, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Harbor Springs (Michigan), Sneedville (Tennessee), and our own city’s Inner City program in Nashville (Tennessee). It is our belief that a soul anywhere on our planet is a precious thing in God’s sight and is in need of the Gospel. We encourage our members not only to support our regular works but to be generous when special needs or requests come in for worthy projects.
Years ago Fred Snoddy set up a special fund to help assist local ministers in India. It is administered under the elders’ auspices. Every three years two brethren from our area go to see how the works in Andrah Pradesh state are progressing. During this time, our members usually give special help for orphans, bicycles, widows, church benevolence, and other needs as these specially given funds are to be carried by the visiting brethren from the USA. Additionally, the brethren here replaced entirely an Indian church building destroyed by a cyclone with free-will donations separate and above the Sunday collection.
Another fund entitled the Perpetual Evangelism Fund (also overseen by our elders) draws interest and is used to help other works not listed on our monthly venue. In the past eighteen months, funds have been sent to Ukraine, Dominica, Nigeria, Ghana, East Africa (radio), World Bible School, World Christian Broadcasting, Malawi, China, Zambia, Guyana, and Journey Through the Bible (Michigan). Recent free-will offerings were given to four of our members going to Costa Rica.
We pray God’s blessings on all these works, and it is our hope to see even greater fields white unto harvest as time goes by both in our own community and abroad.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Since 2017 the Old Hickory Church of Christ has had a part in the support of the Eddison Fowler family in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. They have spent more than thirty-five years in that area, and the Washington Ave. congregation in Evansville, Indiana, is the main sponsor.
India Mission
Fred Snoddy, a long time member here, became deeply involved in teaching the Gospel to the millions of souls in India. A result of his tireless work and selfless living is a very efficient program of supporting local preachers in India. At the present time we assist about 350 men, and last year their work resulted in over 27,000 baptisms. Periodically we have men who travel to India to evaluate the work and to conduct evangelistic meetings.
The congregation has both a general fund to help the India brethren and the Snoddy Fund which was set up years ago specifically to help local Indian preachers. It is estimated by Brandon Edwards that there are more than 52,000 congregations in our work area with millions of converts.
Batam, Indonesia
Winston Bolt serves as the director of the Batam Bible School which trains leaders for the church in Indonesia. New churches are being planted every year, as the Gospel is preached in this moderately Islamic nation. Along with his wife Lusi, Winston has worked for over 25 years with this school that produces several graduate preachers each year. Batam is located on one of the safest islands in this Moslem nation of more than 220,000,000 people.
Budapest, Hungary
Curry Montague and his wife Dora (whom he met and married from Hungary) have worked tirelessly in Budapest for several years. The Somerville, Tennessee, Church of Christ is their main sponsor. Curry speaks fluent Hungarian, one of the world's hardest-to-learn languages. Old Hickory has helped them since 2017.
Southern Africa Bible College
The Southern African Bible college is located in a suburb of Johannesburg, the most populated city in this nation. Jerry Hogg and his wife Ann have worked there for decades, and it has proven to be a beacon for the area in winning the lost.
Harbor Springs, Michigan
Dale DuVerney preaches for this congregation which was begun a few years ago. His wife Jerrie is a great encouragement to him, and they really love the work there. They are growing and do an excellent job of bringing people to their area to work in special campaigns.
Sneedville, Tennessee
Located in Hancock County, Tennessee, the last county in Tennessee in which the Lord's church was planted, the Sneedville congregation is our latest addition to missions at Old Hickory. Robert and Dolores Lupo have been there nineteen years, and though small, it has big plans for growth.
Inner City Ministry - Nashville, Tennessee
Over the years the Nashville Inner City Ministry has had a great impact on inner city children of the Middle Tennessee area. Numerous churches in Tennessee support this work, and the annual Catfish Dinner is very popular. Old Hickory is happy to be a financial supporter of this effective ministry that has brought many to Christ and has helped bring many good things to socially challenged areas of our city.
Papua New Guinea
Our elders have decided to add a brand new work to our monthly supported missions in the nation of Papua New Guinea. Fred and Sandy Burrows are sponsored by the Vallejo Church of Christ and live when in the States in Monterey, California. They have been working with the brethren of Papua New Guinea since 1984, and Fred is in his mid seventies. Joseph and Eileen Bayagau are indigenous co-workers in Port Moresby, the capital. They carry out many tasks with the church there as fellow laborers with the Burrows.
