AUSTIN—For 27 years, Austin Baptist Chapel—known to most of the people it serves as “Angel House”—has served hot lunches to the homeless and hungry in Texas’ capital city.
Ken Phillips is a regular volunteer at the Austin Baptist Chapel soup kitchen (Photo courtesy of Redwood Baptist Church, San Marcos)“Our homeless guests several years into the ministry began calling it Angel House,” founder Frank Deutsch said. “They said they felt like the volunteers that come to serve them are angels, so they call it ‘Angel House.’”
Today, the church’s staff and volunteers serve a hot meal to about 400 people every day. Each meal consists of soup, a main dish or sandwich, a side entrée or two, and a dessert. The ministry serves more than 40 gallons of iced tea and 20 gallons of lemonade daily.
Workers also serve a continental breakfast to about 100 people each day and offer a free clothing distribution room open to the public on Saturdays. The ministry receives support from the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering and from other churches in the Austin area.
Deutsch and Kitchen Manager Marcus Growden take charge of the cooking. Growden operates the kitchen during the week, while Deutsch secures the groceries—often donated from local stores or restaurants—and cooks on the weekends.
Volunteers from Redwood Baptist Church in San Marcos serve at Austin Baptist Chapel. (Photo courtesy of Redwood Baptist Church, San Marcos)Up to 10 volunteers work at the ministry each day. Volunteers from local churches or businesses take one day per month to serve the community.
About 100 worshippers gather at Austin Baptist Chapel on a typical Sunday—most of them Angel House guests during the week.
While about 80 percent of the people the ministry serves are homeless, Angel House opens its doors to anyone in the community in need of a meal.
“We are not just a soup kitchen for the homeless,” Growden said. “We are a soup kitchen for the hungry.”
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Many guests eat only the soup and a side dish at Angel House, and save a sandwich and bottled water for later in the day.
“What they take with them will serve either for supper or breakfast until they get back here,” Deutsch said.
By giving thanks before each meal, praying for and encouraging guests and openly sharing their faith, workers seek to cultivate an atmosphere where the gospel is central. They don’t hide their faith, Deutsch noted.
“We are very open with the gospel,” he said. “That’s our priority. That’s what we are here for. Feeding people is secondary.”
Maybe the ministry feeds people a little too well, Growden said with a grin. “You know you have done something good when homeless people tell you they are gaining weight.”
For 27 years, Deutsch has given his life to the ministries of Austin Baptist Chapel. He enjoys seeing people’s lives transformed, all because he obeyed God nearly three decades ago. He said he knew God called him to open the ministry from Day One, despite heavy opposition.
“From the beginning, there were a lot of skeptics,” he said. “Even my children thought I lost my mind.”
Twenty years ago, Jose Bricnyo arrived at Austin Baptist Chapel homeless. Today, he lives in a little room in the back of the church and volunteers every day with Angel House.
When guests arrive for a meal, Bricnyo is the first face they see as he gives them their meal ticket. When they leave, he stands at the door and offers each guest an encouraging Bible verse or inspirational phrase.
“I like working here because we help a lot of people,” he said. “The best part is when the people try to jump in and help others.”
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