( ENSPIRE News ) Bishop Crew Sheard Raises Funds and Hosting Food Bank Events to Help Local Community While Volunteering Church Lot as a Mass Testing Site
ENSPIRE Contributor: Elizabeth Casillas
Sr. Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Detroit, Michigan, Bishop J. Drew Sheard is helping his community and taking an active role in social services. As a leader in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), he hopes to make an impact and elevate ministry. Having lost his beloved mother in April due to COVID-19, Sheard is taking a proactive approach to make sure his community is in a good position to fight back against the virus.
Sheard has worked with local officials to make his church lot into a mass testing site in Detroit. Given the fact that COVID-19 has a high chance of spreading, these testing sites are crucial to protect citizens. COVID-19 personally affected the church with two deacons becoming ill with the virus, and Bishop Sheard having close contact with both of them. Throughout the pandemic season, Bishop Sheard has been able to successfully transfer his ministry and his church community onto an online platform.
Apart from the testing site, Sheard has been raising funds to support churches around the country during the quarantine. This started when he was contacted by struggling ministries and asked for donations. He was giving money out of his account until he realized he was capable of doing something more sustainable. He raised over $100 thousand to help those in need around the United States. He partners with Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners Community Food Bank to provide 2,000 families fresh produce and groceries every month.
Bishop Sheard is not slowing down; he has plenty of projects in store for the future. He has been in talks to turn his COVID-19 testing center into a mass vaccination center. Currently, he is discussing this possibility with city officials and the health department. As a strong advocate for vaccines, he wants to be able to provide his community with this tool.
For more information on Bishop Sheard and the work he is doing visit their website to donate and help the social service projects. They also have live streams and events.
