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HUGULEY — An estimated 300 local people received free COVID-19 testing at a mobile testing site set up on the grounds of Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church on Monday and Tuesday.

“We are so grateful that Church Alive Health Outreach and Family Support brought a mobile testing site to our church,” said the Rev. James McTier Jr., pastor of Greenwood Baptist. “As we all know, Chambers County has been hard hit by COVID-19. It has been especially traumatic for the African-American community.  Thank you to the Church Alive team for coming here and providing this much-needed service.”

Church Alive is a nationwide faith-based Christian organization that provides information about health and finances, Medicare guidance, education and resources to support individuals and their families. The organization works closely with churches, professional organizations and other groups to educate, guide and assist those in need with a variety of services and solutions.

“Our home office is in Hollywood, Florida, but we go where we are called,” said Darcell Streeter, director of business development for Carefield Ventures, the home church of Church Alive. “We have had a good response from the local community on Monday and Tuesday. We are averaging around 150 people each day. Our lab shipments go out each day. We should get the results back in 24 to 72 hours.”

Members of the Church Alive Nashville team did the on-site testing.

“Our Nashville team covers the Southeastern states,” Streeter said. “We have a team in North Carolina that covers the eastern states and one in Texas that covers the southwest. We have such teams scattered around the country, and we reach out to communities in every region.”

The Church Alive team came to Chambers County at the request of the Bowen East District and the Alabama Baptist Convention. The Rev. Gary Dixon, pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in LaFayette, is the moderator of the Bowen East District. County Commissioner Douglas Jones, who’s also the pastor of the Hopewell and New Harmony Baptist churches in LaFayette, is the parliamentarian.

The testing went on despite rainy weather on Monday and Tuesday. Tents were set up to protect people from the weather, and lines of cars proceeded at a constant clip as a steady stream of people were tested between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EDT.