Our Story
The Moneta Center is the original Agape Center, formed in 2004 as a clothing distribution ministry, through Radford Baptist Church, with a focus on meeting the practical and spiritual needs of our neighbors. This work quickly expanded to include food and household goods and outgrew the church’s available space.
After moving into a storefront location on Old Moneta Rd, Sue Lipscomb, head of Children’s Ministries at Radford Baptist, was asked to lead the growing program, and she focused on organizing logistics, creating a board of directors, and establishing the mentoring program as the center of the ministry.
The Agape Center continued to grow and was established as a 501c3 organization in June 2009. Additional supporting churches -- Eastlake Community Church, Dwelling Place, and Covenant Fellowship – were added, with Staunton Baptist joining as the fifth supporting church in 2012.
In 2012, earnest prayer began for a much-needed larger facility. Through numerous amazing provisions, the ministry purchased, renovated and relocated to the Promised Land Rd location. A furniture building was added in 2017 and a pole barn for storage in 2018. At every phase, the right people, with the right skills and the right equipment showed up at the right time – a story in itself of God’s plan.
Today, the Moneta Center continues to operate from the Promised Land Rd facility and directly serves over 600 families, including over 2000 individuals. Over 300 volunteers serve our neighbors at the facility during the 10 open days per month, or behind the scenes, driving trucks for food and furniture pickup, cutting firewood, sorting donations, managing IT, and more.
In 2019, a second Agape Center ministry was added to the 501c3 organization in Lynchburg, followed in close succession by a center in Vinton/Roanoke and a fourth in the New River Valley. All these centers are now under the umbrella of Agape Center Corporation.
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Recently, Agape celebrated its 20th Anniversary!
AGAPE Core Values
Authentic Servant’s Heart
We selflessly serve others with humility, compassion, and grace and a willingness to act with kindness mirroring the living example of Jesus through our actions. (Mark 10:45)
God Dependent
We seek the guidance of the spirit in all we do aligning our hearts with His as we encourage and uplift those we serve. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Abundant Love
We embody agape love, selflessly and unconditionally caring for others expressing patience and forgiveness even in challenging situations as we meet the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors. (John 13:34)
Purposeful Prayer
We seek God’s wisdom to guide our mission, intercede for others and allow Him to prepare our hearts for service. (Colossians 4:2)
Excellence in Service
We strive for excellence in all we do, uniting as a team to serve with passion and a non-judgmental spirit that creates a welcoming space for all. (Colossians 3:23)
Our Mission
To reflect God's love by the giving of ourselves and our resources as we submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to mentor and help individuals turn or return to a Christ-centered life.
Statement of Faith
​​​1. We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Acts 17:11; and Isaiah 8:20)
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6)
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:15-17; and Romans 3:10-12, 23)
4. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; Hebrews 10:9, John 1:29; 1 John 2:1-2; John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; and Acts 1:11)
5. We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful people is through faith alone, in Christ alone, for salvation is by grace alone. (John 1:12; John 3:16; Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 2:8-10; and Galatians 2:16)
6. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. (John 15:26; John 16:8-11; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; and 1 Peter 1:1-3)
7. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. (Matthew 25:46; Acts 24:15; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
8. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 12:25; John 15:12; and John 17:21)