Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

AMERICUS – When most people think of a church, they think of a building with a tall steeple on top of it, but according to the Bible, the church is not the building at all. Instead, it is made up of people who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

In the early years of Christianity, Christians met in people’s homes and in many countries around the world today, especially in places where Christianity is frowned upon and prohibited by the government, worshipers still meet secretly in peoples’ homes.

Rev. Davis McArthur is the pastor of New Horizons Ministries and Outreach, a church here in Americus that meets out of his home.

“I target people who are from the hood, or the bad parts of town, different addictions and mental health issues and I take them under my wing and I minister to them,” McArthur said. “I have a team I’m building right now that is getting ready to do some stuff. We help people find jobs and housing and all that other stuff. We’re really mainly an outreach, but we do have church at my house.”

McArthur went on to say that him being able to hold church services in his home is a wonderful thing in that it enables him to save a lot of money for the ministry and it simplifies it as well.

Founded on September 14, 2022, New Horizons Ministries & Outreach has been around for almost a year. The church holds a Sunday evening service in McArthur’s home at 5 p.m. every Sunday and he holds a Bible study in his home every Wednesday at 6 p.m. At the moment, McArthur says that 10 people are showing up regularly, but he has seating for 18. “We’re definitely pretty small, but I’m planning on actually expanding pretty soon,” McArthur said.

Back on August 5, 2021, McArthur’s mother and sister were both killed in a plane crash while on vacation. It was an event that McArthur says tore him apart and played a part in a current illness that he struggles with. “I struggle with what is technically not called Asperger’s anymore, but that kind of autism spectrum disorder,” McArthur said. “Instead of channeling all of my depression and anger into negative stuff, I was able to get involved with a great church up in Hogansville, GA and formulate a plan to grow. I went from being homeless to homeowner within three years. I opened three businesses, which are all co-run now.” McArthur went on to say that since God has been so good to him, he wants to share the good news through his outreach and has, collectively, about 10 mentees and three mentors.

“We’re really a mentorship program more than a church, but we do have church,” McArthur said. “It’s like a big brother-type program.”

McArthur, 23, is actually the youngest person in the church and has people as old as 70 that submit under his leadership. “Everybody in my church is at least 10 years older than me,” McArthur said. “I’d say the median age is actually, like, 50 plus.”

According to McArthur, the church is still growing and developing and is trying to get involved with the City of Americus to do projects to help the community.

As far as funding for the church is concerned, all of it is coming out of his own pocket, but he would like to expand his congregation. He also stated that he would like to open up a business that would be run by people in his mentorship program. “I’m looking at opening a corner store or something and letting people work for me that I can teach skills to, you know, give them actual real job training. I won’t fire them the first time they’re late,” McArthur said. “We’re looking at doing that within about the next two years.”

McArthur is hoping to raise awareness concerning his ministry and would like for prospective employers to take a look at the people working under his mentorship.. “I’m really just looking to network pretty much,” McArthur said.

For those wishing to come to his church, McArthur asks for an RSVP via his phone number at 229-591-8046 and that’s how people can get the address.