Rising dough may help raise the roof on St. Matthews UMC community center

Since August of last year, St. Matthews United Methodist Church, 201 Shady Rest Road, has offered home-baked bread and pies as a means of reaching out into the community.
Russ Williams, president of the Mission 2020 Task Force, said, "This started as a way to get volunteers involved with the church and to provide funds to the mission of reaching our community."
The community is a triangular region extending from the church into the Salem and Mull areas.
"We have a lot of need in that area," Williams said. "We kind of wanted to do something to meet the needs of the community and do other mission opportunities, too, in that area."
Ophelia Hart spearheaded what's now called St. Matthews Open Hearts Bakery.
"Most of all the ideas and recipes originated from her baking. She had a bakery business and donated quite a bit of equipment and a lot of expertise," he said. "We owe a lot to her."
Two or three people usually bake in the morning. Another crew of volunteers, the wrapping crew, shows up after the goodies cool. Additional volunteers man a clean-up crew and a sales crew.
Suzanne Belada attends another church, but helps with the baking.
"This seems like a wonderful thing to me and I love to bake," she explained.
Volunteers take bread to local farmers markets during the summer. Baked goods are sold out of the church on Friday based on orders called in earlier the week, so Ophelia knows how many ingredients and quantities to buy.
The proceeds go towards a future community center. The church hopes to include a ball field, gym and daycare center.
Pastor Allen Boliek said, "Essentially Vision 2020 is where we will be in the year 2020. We are not looking to build a second church, but we are looking to grow and foster the ministry. We are not worried so much about growth, but about ministry."
The bakery is one opportunity that presented itself.
"We are trying to do things on God's time," Boliek said, "and the bakery has become a blessing to us."
Ophelia Hart and her husband started a bakery in 1989 at Lake Junaluska. They moved back to this area where she sold her baked items wholesale from her house. Later she sold baked goods at local farmers markets. Following the passing of her husband, a car accident, a brush with cancer and ill health, Hart gave up baking on her own, but donates her time and talent to helping the church with this baking mission.
"It was obvious that I could not maintain the bakery. I could sit in a chair and do the baking, but I couldn't carry it to the car," Hart said.
"The church purchased part of the equipment and decided to do some baking to raise funds for the community center. It's been going really well."
Hart said they only bake one day a week during winter months. From May until October they take baked to a farmers market in downtown Hickory.
"I had been doing that market before my wreck and it has done extremely well for us," she said.
With most farmers markets closed for the winter, St Matthew stepped up efforts to sell goods out of the church.
Sourdough varieties are among the most-popular breads. The sourdough starter evolves into white, whole wheat, raison cinnamon, cheese garlic and onion and even jalapeño breads.
"We get several requests for it," Williams said.
The biggest selling cakes so far are the Italian creme, fresh apple pound and blackberry wine cakes, Hart added.
Hart's husband, an artist, taught watercolor at Haywood Community College and she has donated a number of his paintings to be sold with proceeds going to the church center. The industrious pair also operated a bed and breakfast for a number of years. Hart recently wrote a book that includes some of her recipes along with her husband's artwork and part of the proceeds from the book will go to the center as well.
A book signing for Hart's book, "A Patchwork of Living and Oneness," will be held at St. Matthews UMC in early April.

For more info on Hart's book go to www.opheliahart.com
Order bread and baked goods by calling the St. Matthews Open Hearts Bakery's automated information and order line, 828-433-PIES (7640).