Volunteer dinner honours those who serve our community and Jacksonville Baptist Church mission, which has taken God’s work to struggling children for over 16 years
Between March 3 and 11, 2025, more than two dozen people associated with the Jacksonville Baptist Church will head to the Dominican Republic to continue a decade and a half of God’s work in one of the nation’s impoverished communities.
Working with local pastors and volunteers, the Baptist Mission will continue its support of “Johnny’s Orphanage” and various projects to improve the lives of hundreds of children.
On Nov. 16, at a special TO POSTdinner, partially sponsored by the Carleton Co-Operative Funeral Home and prepared and served by many mission participants, members of the Woodstock area service community learned details about the Dominican Mission.
Carleton Funeral Home director Arthur Smith welcomed guests to dinner held at the Jacksonville Baptist Church, noting the evening was designed to pay tribute to first responders and others who serve the greater Woodstock community and to share information about the long-running and successful Baptist Mission.
“As a co-operative, we give back to the community,” explained Smith.
He explained that the funeral home’s mandate goes beyond providing funeral services and care for grieving families. It provides funding for non-profit groups such as the Baptist Mission.
Smith explained the funeral home sponsored the dinner and would help Hayward House Woodstock provide Christmas dinner for struggling members of the Woodstock area community.
He added the business also provides three annual scholarships for area students.
Smith said the Nov. 16 dinner focused on informing people about the Dominican Mission’s tremendous work.
Following a traditional Christmas turkey dinner with all the fixings and a wide selection of desserts prepared and served by mission members, Mark Graham and Duane Stephenson offered a detailed overview of the mission’s Dominican efforts.
Stephenson explained that the Baptist Mission has worked with local partners in the Dominican Republic for the past 16 years, with a central focus on operating and expanding Johnny’s Orphanage.
He said mission volunteers enjoy the many success stories over the years, especially watching the struggling orphans “grow up, get jobs, get married and raise a family.”
He added that these good young Christians are trying to make a difference in their community.
The Baptist Mission wants to build an addition to the orphanage this year to provide a separate dorm for the girls.
Under Wayne Page’s leadership, the mission’s outreach also involves projects beyond the orphanage, including events, games, trips for children, and conferences to train local pastors.
They acknowledged that the Dominican village, which lies close to the Haitian border, sees and feels the political upheaval overrunning Haiti. He said, however, the border is tightly controlled.
The Baptist Mission leaders explained 100 per cent of its donations are directed towards the mission’s work. He said the mission volunteers pay their own travel costs.
During the presentations, which included numerous photos, the mission spokespeople said the Jacksonville Baptist Church welcomes volunteers from other churches and areas. They noted that such participation often leads to establishing separate missions in different communities, citing separate efforts in Florenceville, Nackawic, and Miramichi as examples.
Stephenson said the Baptist Mission is there to help locals build infrastructure and services to support the local population. He said the Dominican government will partner with the mission on some projects.
“We don’t take over, we’re there to help them,” said Stephenson
