Kirkwood pastor preaches online to reach community: 'I want to accept everybody'
Rev. Timothy Page of Kirkwood doesn’t preach in the pulpit of a church building, but he does preach online and uses technology as a way to help people in need.
“I believe in charity work,” the pastor said. “I learned in church years ago that we are all God’s children. We have to help each other.”
Page serves as pastor of the Holy Church of Christ, a faith-based non-denominational church. He doesn’t have a church building but instead conducts Sunday services and Bible studies online through platforms such as Facebook and Zoom.
“I want to accept everybody,” he said.
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A native of Chenango Forks, Page credited his late mother with strengthening his faith and willingness to help others, he said.
“She taught us five boys to help anyone and not expect anything in return,” he said. “She cooked a lot of food to give to people.”
Page uses technology to help others. He runs a Facebook page, Clara’s Corner Free Items Broome County Area, which is similar to a "buy nothing" group.
“Anybody can join it,” he said. “You can post anything you want to give away. Nothing is for sale.”
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For example, if someone needs furniture or other items, they can post on the site. Someone else who has what they need can give it to that person, he said.
Or people who have items in good condition to give away can post and then give it away to someone who needs it, he said.
Page also shares information about other charitable organizations on the Clara’s Corner site so people know where to go to get help, he said.
“There is a need,” he said. “People out there are really hurting.”
Page used to have a blessing box and food pantry called Aunt Dot’s Cupboard in honor of his late mother at his Kirkwood mobile home. He also used to partner with VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments) to provide fresh produce to those in need and with Truth Pharm to provide a free Narcan box.
But he needs more space to provide these services, he said.
“My goal is to have a building that houses my church, food and clothing pantry and a kitchen so I can provide free hot meals to those in need,” he said. “There’s so many people that are hungry. They need food.”
The building could also shelter the homeless on cold nights, he said.
“People can stay there overnight,” he said. “There’s not enough shelters out there. There’s a lot of veterans that are on the streets. There’s a lot of families on the street.”
For now, he dreams of the day he can preach in his own church building, perform weddings and use the rest of the building to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and give away clothing to those who need it. That’s what keeps him going, he said.
“It’s given me a purpose in life,” he said. “It’s given me something to wake up every day and do. I’m not just sitting around the house.”
More about Rev. Timothy Page
Hometown: Chenango Forks
Home: Kirkwood
Career: Pastor of an online church, Holy Church of Christ. Retired after more than 35 years of business management including managing restaurants and theaters.
How to help: Page is raising money to buy a building to house his church and a kitchen and food pantry where hot meals could be served to people in need. He hopes to also use the building to shelter homeless people and to provide food, clothing and other essential items to people in need.
To learn more about how to donate, find Clara’s Corner Free Items Broome County Area or Holy Church of Christ Inc. on Facebook, email thpministryservices@aol.com or call (607) 240-3433 or (607) 727-1457.
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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: NY pastor's online ministry needs a building. How he'll make it happen
