LAURINBURG — For Pastor Michael Malpass at New Hope Baptist Church on Hasty Road, God always has a plan and Thursday was no different.

The church hosted a free hot dog lunch for the community to drive through and receive food and show love for as many people as they could.

“We just picked the date and I think it was strategic based on what’s happening in our country on God’s part, not ours,” Malpass said. “Our goal is to be a place of hope for all people and to be inclusive. We stand with all of the officers, we stand with the families and the victims of brutality and discrimination. I just think it’s time for the church to stand for equality and justice.”

Malpass added, “Our church is still not diverse like we want it to be and it’s up to not just our staff but our members and our people to embrace everybody and that’s my goal and my job here to truly inspire people and to coach people up to authentically love people.”

About 50 volunteers came out to help prepare and give about more than 500 hot dogs to the community with encouraging signs reminding all who came up that they are loved, along with a flyer inside the bag of goodies with worship times and an invitation to come to a service.

“As much as we want to believe the church has been a place of true invitation there’s been evil and bigotry in the church since his inception and so I think in today’s world you have to welcome people and make it very clear … I call it from the parking lot to the point but you’ve got to make it clear you truly do want to embrace people because people are rightfully nervous right now.”

Malpass has spent years as a coach and as a history teacher and now as a preacher, he hopes to be an influence not just on his church members but to the community.

“We want to be a practical community center as much as the church,” Malpass said. If you’re a practical community center people have a reason to come … we want to be seen in our community more as a community counterpoint so people can come and get their basic needs met and then we believe the message of Christ is of the up-most importance.”

Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.