The River has a new home

Barry Walker said the Lord opened the doors to bigger things for The River with a new location for the Christian recovery ministry.

“The excitement this past weekend was off the charts, and it was one of the most exciting services we’ve had in the entire four and a half years we’ve been doing this,” Walker said. 

They had 46 people Sunday night and only hope to see things grow with more classes and counseling.

The ministry moved from downtown to the old First Assembly of God location near the Peco Farms feed mill on the Herman Alford Parkway.

Walker said he and his wife, Joy, along with the rest of the staff members and volunteers at The River, are thankful and grateful for the community support.

“The people here make The River what it is,” Walker said. “The week before we moved in, we had 13 counseling appointments scheduled, and when I checked last week, we now have 23 appointments. That shows how many people have heard about the new place and want to come here.” 

The River is a ministry to those struggling with substance abuse and is a safe place to go for help to get clean and sober. All are welcome.

Contact Walker at (601) 917-1212 or email barrywalker1957@hotmail.com for more information on how to get help.

They average about 150 people coming through the ministry weekly.

“We’re experiencing unprecedented growth right now,” Walker said. “It’s bittersweet because while we’re helping so many people, it’s sad that so many people still need help.”

He has seen miracle after miracle at The River and the new location is twice as large as downtown.

“Moving to this new location is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever experienced,” Walker said. “Everything is falling into place for us, and we believe this new building will allow us to expand and offer even more classes and meetings, and we can specialize in specific quirks and needs in the community.”

They’ve seen a lot of lives changed since founding The River in October 2017 and lost some.

“We had faith God would send us the right people in time to help us do the things we needed to do,” Walker said.

“My long-term vision was to make every man and woman in Neshoba County, if they were struggling with substance abuse or alcohol, come to us so they could get help. Over time we established a lot of contacts and made a lot of friends across the state, and we were able to use those resources to help people who don’t have anything.”

Over three-quarters of the people who come to The River don’t have the money for treatment, and he wants The River to be an opportunity to get better, which in turn makes the community better.

“Recovery is hard work, and you have to keep at it to be successful,” he said. “We want to thank the people of Philadelphia. My wife Joy and I are very grateful to the community, and we’re doing all we can out in the community like sponsorships.”

The new facility is huge compared to what The River is used to.

“We give God the credit. He has blessed us and the ministry, and we’ve never had to turn anyone down for treatment,” said Joy Walker.

She can see The River branching out with more arms in the ministry with new programs, such as the Celebrate Recovery program being implemented in the new facility.

The Walkers have hope for the future like establishing a recovery house on the property.

“We hope to see more growth, and our expectation is that one day, we hope to have some traditional housing or sober living on the property,” Joy Walker said.

“Addiction is such a widespread problem, and we want to keep growing and helping more people. As more people get help, the word will get out and more people can hear about it and come to us for help, and we can keep serving our community. The Lord gave my husband this blessing and these people are his heart.”

“When we started this, it blew my mind,” she said. “I had a poor attitude and poor view of addiction, but Barry had a wonderful doctor during his recovery from addiction and it was the way God prepared my heart for this ministry so I could have compassion and truly understand the people who come through this program. I love all the people who come in and volunteer and share their time to make the ministry successful.”