From Basement to Banquet Hall: One Table, One church Street and a Theology of Nourishment Public

Abstract

A theology of Nourishment was cultivated out of an innovation named One Table, a meal-based activity that brought community together over three successive weeks and it refers to a shalom nourishment of the human person in body, mind, and spirit. Those who are experiencing food insecurity and hunger cannot experience the wholeness of a thriving life.

In Johnstown, NY, St. John’s Episcopal Church is addressing food insecurity and hunger in Fulton County NY under the umbrella program of One Church Street (OCS). OCS is a separate facility adjacent to the church scheduled to open in Spring 2024. OCS is intended to promote a theology of Nourishment by providing necessary food, fellowship and additional resources that will nourish the whole person. Currently in Fulton County, 1 in 4 of our neighbors identifies as food insecure, and together our Pantry and NOAH (Needy Or Alone and Hungry) Sunday meal programs served over 60,000 meals in 2023, and yet the local communities of Johnstown and Gloversville remain largely unaware of the extraordinary work being done at OCS to nourish our neighbors.

How we could intersect with our local community leaders and residents to teach them about hunger and food injustice in our area, show them the OCS resources, and build a sense of deeper community connection? The answer was One Table, a meal-based innovation that met for three successive weeks to gather, teach, and inspire local community residents and leaders so that they might help us combat hunger in Fulton County and learn where they might fit in with our OCS programming.

Results from One Table provided evidence that the meals provided connection and education about food injustice and allowed people to envision themselves as part of the solution for hunger in Fulton County. The innovation is easily replicable and additional meals have been held multiple times since the original innovation in Fall of 2023. A theology of Nourishment is an expansive, community-based concept that envisions a thriving existence for all our neighbors, regardless of economic status.

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School	Candler School of Theology
Department	Ministry
Degree	DMin
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Theology
Mot-clé	One Table Food Justice Food Insecurity Episcopal Community Poverty One Church Street Nourish NOAH Gather Food Pantry One Church Hunger
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Roger Nam, Emory University
Committee Members	Joy McDougall, Emory University

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