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Unique Coffee Used to Spread Word about Persecution

By MALLORY BOWMAN, Staff Writer
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2007

CEDAR GROVE - There is a warm, inviting aroma as you enter Cedar Grove Baptist Church on Sunday mornings.

The enticing smell is fresh-brewed coffee. But there is something special about that coffee - it is coffee with a higher purpose. The beans are fresh and rich and did not come from a local grocer.

Those special beans were roasted lovingly by church members as part of the Kerusso Coffee ministry.

The ministry honors persecuted Christians around the world that cannot freely practice their beliefs without facing adversity and, in some cases, brutal death. Every bag of Kerusso Coffee bears a special message about a persecuted people group or identifies groups and tribes that have yet to be exposed to the Christian message.

Cedar Grove Pastor Greg Cochran said the name Kerusso was chosen because it is Greek for "I preach."

"We're trying to say that our coffee says something," he said. "It says we want to bring the world to the Lord."

Cochran said he felt a special obligation to raise awareness of persecuted Christians and began the ministry as a unique way to spread information that would get discussion started around the coffee table.

"I think Christ himself is very concerned about persecution," Cochran said. "It is reflected in the New Testament that if one member of the body suffers then the whole body suffers with it."

Cochran said in many foreign nations a national religion is declared and it is illegal to worship outside of that religion. In other countries, religious freedom might be proclaimed by the government but strong persecution from family and friends remains present. He said persecution might be expressed verbally, physically, through imprisonment or even death.

When founding the ministry more than four years ago Cochran noticed that many of the regions where coffee is grown are also home to persecuted Christians. Some of those regions include Sumatra, Indonesia and

Tanzania

.

Cochran is a self-taught roaster, learning mostly on the Internet and by advice from other amateur roasters. He said the church started with a quarter-pound roaster, but now has the capacity to roast 11 pounds of beans at a time.

Cochran has trained several other Cedar Grove members how to roast and said members currently roast between 10 to 15 pounds a week.

"We could go much bigger and we are prayerfully considering that," Cochran said.

The coffee production process at Cedar Grove starts by ordering 130-pound bags of raw Arabica beans, imported from places such as Africa and South America.

The beans must then be roasted by Cochran or one of the church's volunteer roasters.

One of those volunteers is Ken Christy. Christy said he volunteered for the ministry because he loved coffee and believed raising awareness of persecuted Christians was his duty.

"I think as a whole the church is really behind it," Christy said. "We live a sheltered life here. As Christians we are spoiled. There are a lot of people suffering for their faith and there are a lot of people who don't know about Jesus Christ."

Cochran said the roasting process can be tricky and a bit dangerous because roasting machines reach extremely high temperatures. During the process, beans tend to make popping noises like popcorn and release a strong aroma.

"It's absolutely wonderful if you like coffee," he said.

After the beans are finished roasting, they are packaged in 16-ounce bags and labeled Kerusso Coffee. The special back label includes information about a persecuted people group and the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 10:31: "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

"We wanted to answer the question of, 'How can I drink coffee for God?'" Cochran said.

Cochran said the church does not turn much of a profit from the sale of the coffee. He said bags are available for a donation. He said most Kerusso Coffee drinkers are church members, but there are some coffee buyers in the Louisville area that purchase the coffee.

"The ministry is pretty self-sufficient," he said.

Cochran said the congregation currently does not have the capacity to mass produce Kerusso Coffee, but he hopes to expand the operation.

"We will expand if the Lord wills it," he said. "I have a ton of ideas."

Another way for members and visitors to enjoy Kerusso Coffee is to visit the church's Kerusso Cafe', where Cedar Grove youth make and sell coffee drinks for $1 and $2. The cafe' features a small bookstore with several books focusing on persecuted Christians. Cochran said the church's youth group will put any coffee ministry profits toward a mission trip to

Brazil

. The shop is open on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.

Cedar Grove's unique ministry has caught national attention from The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter, a monthly Christian publication that works to highlight persecuted Christians around the world. After learning of Cedar Grove''s ministry, it was highlighted in the newsletter's 2007 special issue.

Todd Nettleton, Director of Media Development for the newsletter, said he was impressed with the church's creative way to spread news about persecuted Christians.

"What better way than to tie (persecution) to coffee," Nettleton said. "A lot of coffee is grown in restricted nations. I thought it was very creative. You don't expect to hear about the persecuted church on your coffee package."

Cedar Grove Baptist currently financially supports 26 persecuted pastors around the world, as well as many others through prayer and communication. Cochran said the church cannot communicate readily with all its pastors because it is too dangerous.

Cochran was unsure where the church's Kerusso Coffee ministry will go, but he hoped that no matter what it would raise awareness of persecuted Christians around the world.

"Drink this cup of coffee," he said. "Thank God for the freedom you have and remember those who don't have that freedom and pray for them."