Pensacola Bay Baptist Association churches fund joint effort to provide free medical care to poor

PENSACOLA (FBW)-Volunteers for the Health & Hope clinic in Pensacola have no intention of holding their breath or holding back on ministry while waiting for faith-based funding to roll in.

Instead, over a hundred doctors, nurses, technicians and counselors will continue to offer free medical care, two times a week, to nearly 600 regulars who return for the clinic’s services. And the churches of the assocation will continue to support the venture.

“We did not start this with a view toward federal funds,” Bob Greene told Florida Baptist Witness. “But we do intend to absolutely pursue grants.”

Greene, who serves on Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s advisory council for faith-based initiatives, said one of his roles as Pensacola Bay Baptist Association’s director of missions is to assist Florida Baptists churches, including those in his association, to manuever the paperwork required in applying for faith-based funds available at all levels.

Meanwhile, however, Greene said the churches in his association birthed the idea of the 10-month-old clinic without any thought to how the ministry might benefit from local, state or federal funding.

The clinic, which offers medical service, labs, and prescription drugs to the “working poor” of Escambia County, looks to expand to an evening clinic any day. They also hope one day to be able to build a larger facility where they will be able to accommodate volunteers and patients already wait-listed because of space.

“We are here as an assocation serving the same population as our government is trying to,” Green said. “Our ministry is already in the community serving.”

Greene said the Pensacola ministry is just one of many similiar mnistries operated and supported by Florida Baptists throughout the state.