get to know delta grace
About Our Mission + Ministry
Our Mission
Is to share God's grace by using our hands and feet to do His work
Our Goal
To provide safe, sanitary, and secure housing for the elderly, disabled, and others who do not have the means to have adequate living conditions in the Delta
Our Prayer
Is that volunteers will transform the lives of those they serve and, in turn, have their own lives transformed
more about our logo + multi-denominational roots
Delta Grace was founded by the Sunflower + Moorhead United Methodist Churches, and our facilities are still on Sunflower UMC’s grounds.
Since Delta Grace’s beginnings, however, we have been supported by multiple denominations, including the Baptist, Episcopal, and Catholic churches. Members of several different churches serve on our Board of Directors.
What We Do
99%
of all work done at Delta Grace is done through the gifts and graces of volunteers
Delta Grace is a non-profit, multi-denominational, faith-based organization that matches mission teams with those in need of home repairs.
The Delta Grace facilities serve as a year-round hub to provide mission opportunities for teams of all sizes, ages, and skill levels.
Teams are charged a fee to stay at the mission hub, which is then used to purchase project materials.
99% of all work done at Delta Grace is done through the gifts and graces of volunteers. Mission teams work on homes of many who have lost hope. As participants in Delta Grace, volunteers become that hope as they spend time with those in need and walk with them on their journey to experience God’s Grace.
Volunteers are of a variety of different ages and skill levels, but all come for the same reason — because they have been blessed by God and want to share that blessing with others.
How it Works
- Homeowners submit a brief application explaining their home repair needs. Delta Grace helps facilitate these repairs at little or no cost to the homeowner.
- Mission teams from all over the United States register and reserve a time — anywhere from one day to one week — to come to the Delta and volunteer.
- Delta Grace matches the team with the next available project that matches their skills — carpentry, plumbing, roofing, painting, tiling, and more.
- Under the oversight of our construction manager, teams work and share the love of Christ in local homes.
- Relationships are formed, much-needed work is done, and the teams and homeowners experience God’s amazing grace.
How We Started
Sunflower United Methodist Church — located on Sunflower Avenue in Sunflower, Mississippi — is a unique, small membership church with a big passion to serve Christ. In 1968, the church moved from a small building to their current location, an 18,000 square foot former public school that was built in the 1940s.
Over the years, the facility had deteriorated badly. A leaky roof caused major damage to the ceilings, floors, and walls, but the building was still structurally sound.
Driven by the belief that God called Sunflower United Methodist to be an integral part of reaching out to those in need, the church began renovations in March of 2013. They envisioned a mission hub that would enable volunteers to serve people within a half-hour’s radius of Sunflower.
This vision birthed the ministry that is now Delta Grace.
Another area church, Moorhead United Methodist, has partnered with Sunflower to become a primary sponsor of Delta Grace. Thanks to God’s provision, through the help of many churches, organizations and individuals, the Sunflower facility is now a fully-functioning mission hub that has hosted thousands of missioners.
Why the Delta
The Mississippi Delta is one of the poorest areas in the United States — often described as ‘a third world country in the heart of America.’ Historically, the region has remained entrenched by the force of deep poverty.
According to the Census Bureau, as of 2018, more than 19.7 percent of Mississippians live below the poverty level. This makes the state the poorest in the nation.
The 18 counties that make up the region known as the Mississippi Delta have much higher poverty rates than the state average.
Because of this, the region has higher infant mortality rates than some third-world countries and has a lower life expectancy than Bangladesh, according to the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg-Quint.
Sunflower United Methodist Church is situated right in the middle of the Delta in Sunflower County, which has a poverty level of 32.6 percent –almost three times higher than the national poverty average.
This provides a unique opportunity for the church and volunteers to make a large impact on a community in need.
Poverty Rates in Mississippi Counties - 2018
Who Leads Us
David + Veronica Pritchard
Veronica Pritchard – Executive Director
David Pritchard – Construction Manager
Paula Barner – Office Administrator
Delta Grace operates under the leadership of a diverse Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors
Jeff Tatum, President
Giulianna Gray, Vice President
John Robert Griffin, Treasurer
Paula Barner, Secretary
Skipper Dodd
Annie Parker Miller
Michael Davis
Brady Smith
Jerry Nobile
Terry Williams
Bradley McNealy
George Holland
Veronica Pritchard, Executive Director
David Pritchard, construction manager
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
—1 Peter 4:10 NRSV
Get In Touch
(662) 569-3444
deltagrace@deltaland.net
P.O. Box 218
Sunflower, MS 38778
