Connections that Change the World  

Food insecurity and hunger affect over 40 million Americans and many millions more worldwide. Right here in Oklahoma, we live in one of the five hungriest states, with nearly 15% of the population experiencing hunger at some point in the last year.

 

Two amazing Oklahoma-based ministries are doing everything they can to fight this underreported crisis. Abundant Rain Ministries in Coweta and Bridging Hunger in Jenks have been doing groundbreaking work for years to fight food insecurity both locally and across the globe. Just as their passion has led them to collaborate in their efforts, their relationship has connected First Bank of Owasso with both ministries to help expand the reach of the good work they do daily.

 

 

Pastor Ron and Terry Spradlin

Founded in 1998 by Pastor Ron Spradlin and his wife, Terry, Abundant Rain Ministries began with a 5-acre property off the beaten path near Coweta. In 2006, First Bank of Owasso facilitated their purchase of 22 acres of adjacent land to build additional buildings on their property, including a food distribution warehouse. This expansion allowed them to greatly increase weekly food deliveries to many small towns across northeastern Oklahoma.

 

Those initial seeds sown in faith have blossomed into a life-changing harvest. Today, Abundant Rain is a thriving food-sharing ministry that has distributed approximately 17 million meals to date to people in need, not only throughout Oklahoma but across the world.

 

 

Children scavenge for food in the 40-acre Guatemala City dump, where many families live in shelters made of cardboard and corrugated metal.

 

A semi-trailer containing boxes of food is unloaded from Abundant Rain Ministries and distributed to families in need. Most families typically walk away with 100-150 pounds of food consisting of meat, fresh produce and canned goods, based on availability.

 

Weekly, the ministry receives and distributes thousands of pounds of food to local families and people in need, with local volunteers showing up throughout the week to pack bags and distribute food. Additionally, other ministries from rural parts of eastern Oklahoma come to Abundant Rain to take food back to their communities and distribute it to the people who need food, love, and hope. 

 

 

An oversized cargo transport plane loaded with boxes of food is bound for families living in Central America.

God has also provided opportunities for the ministry to feed people all over the world.

“The provision for those in need often translates to an open door for the Gospel to be presented to those who have never heard it,”

explained Pastor Ron. These open doors have allowed them to deliver many shipping containers of food to Central America, South America, and Africa, resulting in thousands of meals being provided to these areas last year alone.

 

 

People in a remote Liberian community receive boxes from Abundant Rain containing a month's worth of food. A significant segment of this community is permanently blind, and has little access to health care. Abundant Rain partners with local Bible clubs who distribute the food and assist with physical and spiritual needs.

A Divine Connection

Pastor Ron Spradlin introduced Pastor Rod Baker with Bridging Hunger to First Bank of Owasso in 2020, and we've been honored to help facilitate expansion of their ministry. Bridging Hunger, like Abundant Rain, does excellent and impactful work, providing millions of meals to those in need both locally and across the world.

 

Since 2001, Bridging Hunger has been steadily expanding their food ministry, and last year they provided over 100,000 meals in nearly 80 communities in Northeastern Oklahoma.

 

 

Pastor Rod Baker inspires Bridging Hunger volunteers before their weekly food distribution event at their Jenks warehouse.

In the words of Pastor Rod,

"You'll never exhaust your potential by helping others succeed."  

Their ministry has grown even more with the acquisition of a nearly 4-acre tract of land in a great location in Jenks, OK. Working with Pastor Rod and his wife, Gloria, First Bank of Owasso was able to provide the funds needed for the purchase. The ministry will soon build a facility large enough to fulfill its vision of partnering with churches across Oklahoma to be a lighthouse to their respective communities.

 

At First Bank of Owasso, we are passionate about working with those who want to make the world a better place, and that work is even more special when those we partner with connect us with others who co-labor with them to bring about positive change. As Senior VP Scott Anderson notes,

"As important as it is to lend money responsibly, I am constantly reminded that banking functions alone are not the main focus. Instead, they are merely tools that allow us to achieve the main goal, which is to love and honor the Lord. We do this by building banking relationships that help us to serve people and ministries, who, in turn, love and serve people as they have been called."

First Bank of Owasso is privileged to support the vision of both of these amazing ministries, and we are excited to see what God will continue to do through each of them in the future!

 

To learn more about Abundant Rain and read more about their story, visit: https://www.abundantrain.net/

To learn more about Bridging Hunger, visit https://bridginghunger.com/. To see more of Bridging Hunger’s ministry in action, watch the video below!