Mother's Day Dinner 2014: A "Central" Event

PHOTOS BY VICKI SMITH

"It was just a good day for the church."

The men of Central Baptist Church in Riverview stepped up, to show the women of Central how much they are appreciated.

On Mother's Day, May 11th, the women were first treated to a morning worship service put together and anchored by the men folk.

After that, the women were treated to a feast prepared by the men of the church.

On the menu was a huge Mother's Day cake honoring all the moms, and before that, beef brisket, 3 kinds of chicken (fried, lemon, and rotisserie), macaroni & cheese, vegetable trays with green and yellow peppers, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes.. green beans, glazed sweet potatoes, toss salad, rolls and iced tea and water.

"John Hardy was the chief chef," recalls deacon John Harrison, "and 12 to 15 other men of the church were involved in cooking the food in the Fellowship Hall kitchen and coordinating the event itself. Some of them ushered during the morning worship service, others cleaned up the dining area after the dinner."

"The men just stepped up that day."

Harrison says, the Mother's Day dinner was a way to pamper the women, whether they were moms or not, especially with the keepsake of the event -- a huge heartshaped box filled with Dove chocolates.

"We celebrated between 50 and 60 women on that day," he says. "There are moms whose children couldn't get back home, and there are those of us whose moms have passed away. As you know, there are moms who are moms to everybody in the community, not just their own children. They seemed to enjoy the attention."

"Moms are special, you know," Harrison says. "Here was a way that we as a church, could show the women how special they are, and how much we love them."

A special moment that Harrison noted, was the way the men who served the meal were dressed.

"The men in the choir, of course had on dark suits, but they also had red neckties," he said.  "When the women went into the Fellowship Hall to eat, there were all the men lined up ready to serve them, with maroon aprons on.  To see them lined up like that ready and waiting to serve the dinner to the women was a sight to behold.  It was very impressive and professional."

Sunday's dinner was actually revived from an old tradition at the Central Baptist Church, that sort of went away for a while.

"We got away from it around 2010," says Harrison, "but we sit down to do the church calendar for next year, this event will probably be something that we'll consider, because it was so well received. The women are already planning for how they'll take charge of even the upcoming Father's Day."

"Two days later, they were still talking about their Mother's Day."