BEL AIR, Md. — Oak Grove Baptist Church (OGB) has faithfully engaged their community for decades in various ways. Just a few include visiting at local nursing facilities; Christian Tai Chuan Do Karate, REBOOT Trauma Recovery, prayer meetings; hosting a Harford County Infant & Toddler Group, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Ministry (A.D.A.M.); coffee chat & study fellowships for women from teens and older, and a food pantry distribution that broke their records, serving over 60 families in September. During the holidays, they participate in Operation Christmas Child, and one of their biggest ministries is the Living Christmas Tree.
Church members answer calls from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s hotline. (Photo courtesy of Oak Grove Baptist Church)
Mary Frances Tracy, who leads OGBC’s women’s ministry with Diane Weiih, said she was at the church one day and overwhelmed with all the ministry and outreach that was happening. She said, “I just stopped and said, look what God is doing!”
One of their unique ongoing ministries is the church’s partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelism Association’s Call Center. On the second and third Saturdays of each month, volunteers answer calls for individuals who need prayer.
Tracy said, “We answer the phone saying, ‘Have you called to accept Jesus? Or Did you call for prayer?’’She said, “Some do accept Jesus, but most are calling to pray. It is heartbreaking what you hear.” Many are in dire situations. A few tell the operators they watched a Billy Graham classic, and the Holy Spirit convicted them.
Richard Weih, the church’s pastoral care and senior adults minister, oversees the center. He said their small team averages 16 calls in an hour each evening, though they’ve gotten as many as 30 or more. Asked whether the calls are increasing as the holiday approaches, Weih said yes, they are getting more than usual. “People are dealing with depression and a lot of things, and they want someone to talk to,” he said.
The program began near the end of Covid, said Weih. “Franklin Graham wanted to increase the number of people to answer the calls. Some groups developed call centers, and some individuals answer the calls at home.”
The church allowed a separate room for the ministry and built partitions between the call desks for privacy.
“We get calls from all over the world. Most of ours are from Texas or North Carolina, but we’ve gotten calls from London and Australia,” Weih said.
The team listens, shares scripture, and prays with callers. All of the calls are logged, and followed up as necessary by BGEA.
Tracy said hearing the heartache isn’t always easy, but it’s important.“This is a privilege,” she said.
Churches and individuals interested in helping the BGEA must go through a screening and training process. For more information, contact the BGEA.https://careers.billygraham.org/