Hoppers Chapel reclaims neighborhood in Shelby

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

Danny Biddix of Northside Baptist Church attaches a towel rack in Apt. 38 of the complex Hoppers Chapel in Shelby is refurbishing to take back their neighborhood.

Photo by Norman Jameson

Biblical Recorder

A few years ago Hoppers Chapel in Shelby erected a fence between its property and the run down, drug infested, crime riddled apartment complex on the other side of its driveway. Now the church owns the apartment complex and volunteers from Operation Inasmuch swarmed it April 19 making repairs and cleaning the landscape.

While the complex was the first address for many young couples over six decades, it deteriorated into a dangerous place. Pastor Robert Coleman, who came out of a career in education, is leading Hoppers Chapel to "take back our community." One of the first places they staked their claim is right next door, buying the complex a year ago.

"As we clean up our community, we said we can control this element," Coleman said, while walking the site, encouraging volunteers and ferrying paint brushes, nails and cleaning supplies to workers calling out for them. "We can't control what goes on elsewhere, but we can control what goes on here."

David Brown, who coordinated the Cleveland County Operation Inasmuch effort, met Coleman when both attended a planning session for the Shelby area missions camp of North Carolina Baptist Men. Brown enlisted several churches to join hands during Inasmuch and churches are adopting individual apartment units to refurbish.

Even now single mothers, families whose homes are in foreclosure, and others who need a clean, secure, affordable housing are living in completed units.

"We are teaching pride and ownership," said Coleman, pastor for four years. "And since we've started this campaign we've baptized over 250. We meet needs here, but we hold them accountable."

Seventy volunteers from Hoppers Chapel worked among volunteers from Northside and Zion Baptist churches on this day, including 70-year-old men and women and little children manhandling rakes.

"When we finish here, we want this place to be the kind of place you would want to move into," said Gary McNeilly, a retired insurance agent who is coordinating work in apartment 38 which Northside Baptist has adopted. Pastor Neil Efird was among his members helping Saturday.

Hoppers Chapel has formed Hoppers Chapel Outreach Ministry, a separate non-profit entity that has now secured four abandoned houses across the street to continue retaking their neighborhood for Jesus.