KIMBERLING CITY – The church hall was packed, and so was the buffet table at the recent wild game supper at First Baptist Church, Kimberling City. The amount of “critters” available to be consumed was massive. The church wanted to reach out to the fishing and hunting enthusiasts in their southwest Missouri community, so having a spread of wild game to eat seemed like the thing to do.
Pastor Jeff Hardy rattled off the wild game dishes, but he said they didn’t have any “possum” on the table. They did have dishes of coon, venison, duck, goose, elk and wild turkey. Fish dishes included halibut, spoonbill (aka paddlefish), catfish, salmon and crawfish. Smoked pulled pork and all the side dishes a person could imagine made it a night to tease the taste buds with exotic game. Everyone went away with their appetites satisfied.
Hardy said 275 attended. They ate good food from the fields and streams. They heard a band play songs that ranged from bluegrass, country, gospel and a little country rock, including Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. The band went by the name “Not Too Shabby.” There was also a display of several mounted game trophies that were brought in to be admired. Door prizes like tents, sleeping bags, BB guns, rods and reels, passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson and guided fishing trips were offered.
The speaker for the evening was a friend of Jeff Hardy, who grew up near him in Tenn. Kenny Louden was described by Hardy as “country as corn bread.”
Louden agreed. He said he “grew up on a bar stool” in rural Springville, Tennessee. He always loved to hunt and fish. His daddy was a carpenter and often took young Kenny with him as he stopped in for a drink at the neighborhood bar. Louden said he just thought it was normal to be around men who drink. He grew up shooting pool, drinking beer and talking about the outdoors with the other men.
But in 1999 he met the Lord. He said he didn’t want to go, but his wife and son wanted him to go to a fall festival sponsored by a church. Someone wanted him to put on a little colored bead gospel bracelet, and they explained the gospel to him. He said the Lord had been dealing with him, and when he was asked if he wanted to be saved, he said yes.
Louden said it took a little while for him to be willing to make it public, but he did. Then later he started serving the Lord, teaching Sunday school, being a Gideon and passing out Bibles. Then the Lord called him to preach and be a pastor.
He is now pastor of McRae’s Chapel Outdoorsman Baptist Church in Big Sandy, Tenn. Louden says he’s been in the Springville area all of his life, and everyone who knows him has watched him be changed by the Lord.
As he spoke to the men and women at the Kimberling City church, he was able to share the gospel from John 3—the story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus—and he told his testimony of being saved. Three people indicated they wanted to be saved in an invitation conducted by filling out cards as the dinner concluded. Pastor Hardy said they are following up on the people making decisions. There were others who made recommitments to the Lord.
Hardy described himself as a “country boy” and said he likes to go down and fish with his friend, Kenny. Hardy also grew up in Tennessee. Fishing for catfish in the Tennessee River was part of his youth experience.
The wild game supper appealed to the community, and Hardy said the intent was to make a connection with the people in the Kimberling City area who do not normally attend church. Many of them were there that evening. People from other churches in the area attended.
Hardy said “free food” is a draw. But the key was to tell people about Jesus in a non-threatening way and in an atmosphere appealing to those who like hunting and fishing.
They plan to offer the wild game supper again next year because of the success they saw with it this spring.
