From the outside looking in:
Portales is simply a different community. I guess you might say that describes every community but there are so many things that make Portales unique.
We are an agriculture town. We are a college town. We are a small business town. We are an Air Force town. We are a “dreaming” town (we don’t sit waiting to evaporate into nothing). We are a diverse town. We are an inclusive Town as our close neighbors from Floyd, Dora, Causey and Elida work and serve right here. We are a town of faith that attempts to live out our calling. We are a town of educators, health care providers, fire fighters, Police Officers, dairy workers and so much more. All of these “mesh” together to create a uniqueness that is, well… unique!
One of the “hidden” things that one might not know about that adds to our uniqueness is our Ministerial Alliance. From the outside looking in you might not even know that a number of the churches in Portales have banded together in an organization called the Ministerial Alliance. Do you remember the Red Kettles and the bells that ring at Wal-Mart and the Farmers Market sometime around the holidays; well the Ministerial Alliance and those who choose to join us man them. The money stays right here in Roosevelt County and is used primarily to help folks in an emergency with utilities. The churches also give monthly to the Alliance. Through the money given over one hundred families have been helped each year. The Alliance attempts to share the grace of our Savior with our friends and neighbors as we try to live out our faith by sharing in the needs of our community.
From the outside looking in you might not know that the alliance was able to send $5000 to Roosevelt General Hospital to bless those working with the Covid crisis. You might not know that they were also able to send $5000 to the United Way of Eastern New Mexico to help those who are desperately needing assistance. These are examples of what the Alliance is able to do as we serve our community and express the love of Christ through living out our calling.
And so there are so many areas that we who are looking from the outside in might never know are contributing to the very unique atmosphere that hovers over our community, and the Ministerial Alliance is one of them. That “atmosphere” that surrounds Portales makes this community a great place to live and you know what, we are all a part!
Brian Arnold
