Circle of Mercy Supports Helpmate’s “Men Who Care” Campaign

When the men of Circle of Mercy congregation learned about “Men Who Care,” a special fundraising campaign to support survivors of domestic violence, co-pastor Rev. Ken Sehested suggested that they pool their resources and join the effort as a group. The congregation voted to match this commitment from its missions fund, thereby doubling its commitment to Helpmate, an Asheville-based nonprofit that provides shelter, counseling, and advocacy for individuals and families affected by domestic violence.

On October 9, a date fittingly occurring during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Helpmate executive director Valerie Collins accepted a donation of $880 during Circle of Mercy’s Sunday evening worship service. “Given the fact that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury among women in the U.S.—abuse from husbands and boyfriends—we think men have a special responsibility for addressing such violence,” said Marc Mullinax, chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Mars Hill College and the congregation’s moderator. “We need to create a culture that says it just isn’t acceptable for men to hit women. And, because of our religious commitments, we think churches should be in the forefront of this movement to support agencies like Helpmate.”

The “Men Who Care” initiative was first proposed by Helpmate board member John Stewart, M.D. The goal is to recruit 1,000 men to contribute $20 each to Helpmate.