Sometimes, things turn out for the best

Snubbed mission group's help is welcome in Nashville

Texas students paint, landscape seniors' home

Bob Smietana
Nashville Tenneseean

Fernia Harris was looking for a little divine intervention

And  without knowing it, the Southern Baptist Convention came through for her.

This week, a group of high school students from Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, which was tossed out of the convention in late June for being too gay friendly, have been painting and doing landscaping around her house at 151 Fain St., just southeast of downtown.

The group had planned to be working at a Southern Baptist outreach in Kentucky, but was uninvited. That sent group leaders scrambling for an alternative plan, which is how they ended up at Harris' house.

"It's a blessing," said Harris, who lives with her husband on a fixed income. "The Lord sent someone to us. He always steps in right on time."

Fran Patterson, minister to youth at Broadway Baptist, was just glad to be of help.

For weeks, the group, a high school singing group known as the Chapel Choir, had been planning to go to the Mountain Outreach at University of the Cumberlands, in Williamsburg, Ky.

They were hoping to work on several homes, and then sing at local churches. But on June 29, she got a call, saying the college had rescinded its invitation to her youth group.

The rest of it.