At the beginning of June, Ocean City Baptist Church launched its weekly international dinners for the summer season. There, hundreds of J-1 students gather for a free meal, fellowship and resources.
And while participation in such ministries lagged during the COVID pandemic, Pastor Sean Davis said international students are coming back in full force this summer. Last week, for example, the church served nearly 400 students and 500 meals within a two-hour span.
“I see it, as the pastor, as an opportunity to really just make a difference in the world, because the world comes to us and that’s what we do,” he said. “We’ve got a great church that really strives to do that, that just shows love and hospitality to every student who comes in.”
Since the early 2000s, Ocean City Baptist has offered weekly dinners to international students during the summer months. Every Monday night, from early June to Labor Day, volunteers take time out of their week to serve hot meals, minister to students and offer a space for conversation.
“Lives are changed because of a free meal …,” Davis said. “They were angry at something that happened at work and then they come and see a nice face and a nice person, and then their whole perspective of the world changes, the whole perspective of Ocean City and America changes, because someone was nice, because we gave them a free meal out of the church.”
We should send them back where they came from, not give them free food. Close the borders and stop the madness!