New Ministry Aims to Combat Child Hunger with Innovative Approach
As Jon Weece concluded his tenure as senior pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky, he unveiled an ambitious initiative aimed at addressing child hunger. The new ministry, called Boone Brothers, plans to use Kentucky’s natural resources to combat malnutrition among children by providing deer jerky.
“I am launching a ministry tomorrow morning because of the immediate need to feed hungry children across the state of Kentucky,” Weece announced to the congregation. He highlighted a disturbing statistic: “21 percent of children in our state are going to bed hungry every single night, and that should keep and bother all of us in this room as citizens in the commonwealth.”
Boone Brothers, co-founded by Trey Benson and Weece, aims to transform the state’s abundant deer population into a valuable food source for children. According to their website, the organization partners with Kentucky Fish & Wildlife to process deer meat into Boone Bites, a non-refrigerated, protein-rich jerky.
These Boone Bites will be distributed to local schools, allowing teachers to provide them to children in need. “Deer are an abundant natural resource and the herd needs to be managed,” the website says, emphasizing the dual benefit for children and wildlife.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources reports a white-tailed deer population of about 1 million, which continues to impact farmers and motorists. Despite hunting efforts, the deer population remains robust, making this initiative a timely intervention.
Pastor Weece’s journey with Southland Christian Church began in 2000, transitioning to lead pastor in 2003. During his 26-year tenure, the church saw nearly 15,000 baptisms and significant growth, both in congregation size and financial contributions, totaling over $430 million.
In his farewell message, Weece expressed gratitude to the congregation: “I’ve never claimed to be a smart leader…I’m an honest one, but I’m not a smart one,” he shared, attributing his growth to the community’s support.
As Weece steps down, he endorsed Pastor Scott Nickell as his successor, urging the congregation to support him: “Support him. Pray for him. Don’t do what a lot of churches do to their pastors, which is stab him and shoot him in the back.” Weece conveyed confidence in Nickell’s leadership, describing him as “a man among boys” whose faith has been tested and proven trustworthy.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
