LAURINBURG — In preparation for its annual barbecue sale in April, Saint Luke United Methodist Church is working on a special project.

According to Rev. Billy Olsen, pastor of Saint Luke UMC, since barbecue chicken is the most popular item, a huge new barbecue pit will serve to meet the high demand.

“We will have the capacity to cook about 400 chicken halves at a time,” Olsen said.

According to Olsen, the new barbecue pit will be 28.8 feet long, 5 feet wide and 3 feet high. Additionally, it will take approximately 20 bags of charcoal to successfully cook the barbecue chicken.

The pit is located near the church’s playground and picnic shelter.

In addition to the new barbecue pit, the church will also follow a new barbecue sauce recipe inspired by Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, history.

“I think that people will like the new sauce recipe,” he said. “It is different. For the last several years, there has been a local cook that has provided more of an eastern-style barbecue sauce.”

Church member Lee Peterson compared the traditional sauce to Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q sauce.

“This is a more vinegar-based sauce,” said Peterson of the new recipe. He described the new sauce as a “lighter” taste in comparison to the traditional sauce.

“It has its own unique flavor and taste to it,” he said.

According to church member Wayne Bowers, who is responsible for applying the new recipe and methods of barbecuing to this year’s sale, the process of cooking will be much different.

“This is gonna be a slow three hours-plus process,” Bowers said.

Every 30 minutes, the chicken will be “mopped” with a new coat of the barbecue sauce. And the result, organizers hope, will be a busy day of selling plates.

“We hope to sell 1,000 or more plates this year,” Olsen said.

However, according to Olsen, plate sales are not the highest priority of the barbecue event.

“We’re hoping to feed people and to raise money, but we want to make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel,” he said.

The church will also be accepting donations of Kingsford Original charcoal. The deadline for donations is April 1.

The Saint Luke UMC annual barbecue sale will take place on April 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $8. All proceeds will help fund Methodist Men’s local missions, Church Community Services and Habitat for Humanity. For information, contact the church office at 910-276-6821.

Jessica Horne is a student intern from UNCP. She can be reached by phone at 910-506-3024 or email at [email protected].

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Jessica Horne

Student intern