Miracles happen when you least expect it

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By Cynthia Haggitt

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Steve Pegram has seen that God does indeed answer prayers. Pegram is the founder of the Jersey County non-profit organization, Got Faith, and in June, he got a call from Bob Carruthers, director of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association ,about the building on 508 West Pine St, in Jerseyville.
“The building was donated to us from the owners and I was shocked at first. I have been praying for this for the past four years. This building is worth 3.6 million dollars,” Pegram said. “The next thing that happened was Walmart in Jerseyville was calling and offered me a donation of 40 gallons of disinfectant cleaner.”

Pegram believed it was divine intervention. “This is God’s doing. Miracles and prayers are answered when a person least expects it, then out of the blue I get a call from Wal-mart.
“What’s the odds of Walmart calling the day after you find out you receive a building that has been shut in since 2012 and there is this musty smell in it?” he said.

Pegram said the ministry has also received a fog machine from the Sandy Creek Baptist Association that uses a special disinfectant to kill various types of mold. The building has 42 rooms and he has worked very hard to get the smell up. He also has been working with city officials in Jerseyville to get the building up to code.

The deed to the building was signed on Sept. 10. Pegram said the building will be named the Got Faith Ministries Center. He said he is working with Shawn Williamson, a former pastor of the First Assembly of God in Jerseyville, to help with the building’s electrical wiring.

According to the Pegram he has some big plans for the building that are in the works.

“We will have a food pantry and in the lobby area we will have “curmunchkin” area. This area is a place where friends can visit and play cards. We are also working with the church on a “Senior Box” project which will provide boxes of food to seniors once a month in Jersey, Calhoun and Greene counties,” Pegram said. “We will have a church in the building, for there is a chapel here when the place was a hospital. It will be the headquarters for Got Faith too. Also we have dedicated two wings of the place to Diane Stumpe and to Martha Harpstripe.”

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Pegram said these two women were very active in the Christian community here in Jerseyville and have helped the Got Faith Ministries in the past when they have had events that help benefit the community.

“One whole wing will be a boutique that will be offering clothes, shoes and other various clothing items. Some of that money that is raised from the sales will be put back into the Got Faith Ministries to help with bills and other municipal building costs.”