Pastor Jamal Bryant swaps tithes for food donations amid SNAP cuts and job losses

With millions facing food insecurity amid the federal shutdown, Pastor Jamal Bryant is redirecting church giving to feed families in need.

Another pastor is turning away financial church offerings for a very different reason than what we’ve seen this month on social media. Yesterday, Pastor Jamal Bryant, who leads New Birth Church in Georgia, revealed how his church will support communities impacted by the government shutdown, SNAP benefit freeze, and climbing unemployment rates. 

Instead of monetary offerings, Pastor Bryant asks the congregation to bring in canned food donations every Sunday in November to supply its King’s Table drive-thru food distribution initiative, which offers free groceries to those in need. 

“We have a responsibility,” he said in his sermon on Sunday. “Our history is going to record that this president is the very first president in American history to starve his own citizens. On November 1st, SNAP benefits are cut in this country, impacting 42 million Americans. That is, ladies and gentlemen, one out of every seven people. One out of every seven people in this room is on food assistance. One out of seven who are watching online are on food assistance.” 

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He continued, “We’re gonna perform miracles while the government is shut down. What I am asking of you is every Sunday in November bring canned food items to church. Clean out your cupboard, go to the supermarket—Publix, Costco, Walmart—just don’t go to Target. We want to be a blessing to families in this city and in this community, not just in this congregation.”

Additionally, the church will use the funds raised during their other initiatives, like group therapy and morning prayer, to fuel the King’s Table and ensure community members do not go hungry in these seasons of financial uncertainty. As previously reported by theGrio, the ongoing government shutdown has not only impacted thousands of employees nationwide but also the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which officials say will have “insufficient funds to pay full November benefits” if the shutdown continues. 

“Knowing that since March, 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs, knowing that this is the highest unemployment rate for Black people in over 15 years. 
Knowing that government workers and government contractors have been furloughed and have not received a check, even while senators and congresspeople are receiving theirs. Knowing that 43 million people are not receiving food benefits. The Holy Spirit arrested me in prayer,” he shared. “I didn’t feel in good kind conscience or in good faith, or in good faith, that it would be appropriate today for me to do an over and above offering. I didn’t feel like it would be right to ask people to march down with $5,000, $2,000, $3,000 or $1,000, when people don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent. They don’t know how they’re going to take care of their kids, don’t know how it is that they gonna eat.” 

Bryant noted various resources beyond New Birth’s King’s Table throughout his sermon, encouraging everyone listening. Beyond the local food distribution in Georgia, the pastor shared resources like findhelp.org, whyhunger.org/find-food, 1-800-5-HUNGRY, which help people find local support based on their zip code.

“I am not going to do ‘giving Sunday’ until the Sunday after the government reopens… I want all of us to be able to give with clean hands and a clear conscience, and I don’t believe that anybody should be made to feel bad about not giving,” he concluded.

New Birth church is part of the many organizations working to help alleviate the stress the ongoing shutdown has placed on households.