WACO, Texas — A church that meets under a highway bridge in Waco, Texas, recently celebrated 25 years of service among the city’s homeless population.
“We are a church ‘with the poor and marginalized’ — not ‘for’ — that invites the ex-offender, mentally ill, homeless, addicts, and other marginalized,” said Jimmy Dorrell, lead pastor for Church Under the Bridge, a nondenominational congregation.
Church Under the Bridge, which gathers underneath the Interstate 35 underpass bridges, held its first service Sept. 20, 1992, with five homeless men in attendance. Now the church averages about 300 people for weekly worship from a variety of backgrounds, according to The Christian Post.
About 450 people attended the anniversary celebration, which featured Delvin Atchison, director of the Great Commission Team for Texas Baptists, as guest speaker.
“Almost half of our funds go to serve the poor, locally and globally. We have 13 small groups during the week,” Dorrell told the Post. “Through special efforts, leadership skills and empowerment will begin to raise up leaders in the church from racial and economic minorities who are capable of preaching, teaching, pastoring, leading worship and other responsibilities.” (TAB)
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