Mississippi River Ministry is a cooperative effort of the Baptist State conventions in the seven states that border the lower Mississippi River, the North American Mission Board, and Woman's Missionary Union. The US Government Delta Commission surveyed this part of the country in the late 1980's and found poverty levels and related needs to be extremely high, comparing to third world countries in some areas. Baptists formed Mississippi River Ministry as a means to bring much needed resources into the Delta area to meet physical and spiritual needs. In Tennessee, our territory is the 21 counties of West Tennessee between the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. There are 15 Baptist Associations included in this area.  We fulfill our mission statement, "Making Christ known by connecting churches to people in need," as we assist churches in this area to discover needs, develop ministries, and find resources for ministry that reach out to people affected by poverty.  Volunteers come to West Tennessee from all around the country to assist with ongoing ministries or special projects such as Backyard Bible Clubs, housing rehabilitation, health clinics, church construction, food and clothing distribution, sports outreach, and job skills training. About the MRM Area   MRM Resources for Your Ministry   MRM Prayer Requests   Start a Ministry   Contact Us   MRM Projects in Tennessee   Mississippi River Ministry Web Site
About the MRM Area Mississippi River Ministry of Tennessee covers the 21 Counties of West Tennessee between the Mississippi River and Tennessee River.  There are 15 Baptist Associations in this area. Facts: People in poverty in West Tennessee are 292,500 (19.5%). Almost half of those living in poverty in West Tennessee are children. The three Tennessee counties with the highest teen pregnancy rates are in West Tennessee. 2/3 of West Tennessee counties have teen pregnancy rates higher than the state average. Over half of West Tennessee counties have a healthcare resources shortage in at least one major area of care. Around 20% of adults in West Tennessee have less than nine years of education. Almost half of the adults in West Tennessee outside of the Memphis area have no high school diploma.  One West Tennessee County has no licensed childcare provider for children under two years of age.  The two counties with the highest infant mortality rates in the state are found in West Tennessee. Shelby County had three times as many infant deaths as the next highest county in the state in 1998. Infant deaths in Shelby County account for 1/3 of all infant deaths in Tennessee. 42% of all infant deaths in Tennessee occur in West Tennessee. Three counties in West Tennessee have as many as 25% of households receiving some form of public assistance.  Unemployment rates in over 3/4 of West Tennessee counties are higher than the rate for the entire state.
Prayer Requests For churches in West Tennessee to find ways to reach out to people in need in their communities. For MRM Coordinator, Bro. Randy Pool. For new areas of ministry to be started this year in West Tennessee. For potential mission teams as they prepare to come to West Tennessee to serve with MRM. For the hundreds of volunteers that minister locally in West Tennessee churches each year.
Start A Ministry Needs in West Tennessee are great, and it will take churches throughout the region specifically targeting those needs to make a difference.  MRM can help you discover needs and develop ministries.
Contact:
Mailing Address: Mississippi River Ministry of Tennessee PO Box 470 Trenton, TN 38382 Shipping Address: Mississippi River Ministry of Tennessee 1275 Hwy 45 Bypass Trenton, TN 38382  Phone: (731) 855-2470 Fax: (731) 855-9846 E-mail: mrmoftn@bellsouth.net	Randy Pool, Coordinator

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