David Slusher, pastor of Gill Memorial Baptist Church in Marshall, Mo., was fired up about the evil of sex trafficking after seeing “Sound of Freedom” last summer. “Having a 5-year-old daughter and seeing that movie, it just broke my heart,” he told “The Pathway.” “All I could see was my daughter. The evil of this — it’s just unreal.”
Eager to make a difference, Slusher worked with his son-in-law, Alec Whitener, to start a Christ-centered coffee brand, focused on raising awareness and funds for the fight against human trafficking. Their company, Christ Coffee, officially launched in November.
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Pastor David Slusher (right) and his son-in-law, Alec Whitener (left), have begun Christ Coffee to help trafficking victims. (Photo courtesy of David Slusher)
Whitener, a member of Calvary Baptist in Hannibal, explained that he has always wanted to start a business that is “outwardly Christian.” The 22-year-old is a student at Hannibal-LaGrange University, pursuing a master’s degree in leadership with an emphasis in business management.
“We knew when we wanted to start this business that we wanted to partner with some organization that was going to share the hope of Jesus in some manner,” Whitener said. “And that just kept becoming a recurring theme in my heart: What can you do to affect people around the world and help save people’s lives?”
The two men have partnered with Destiny Rescue, a Christian nonprofit that exists to rescue and reintegrate exploited children. Since its founding in 2001, Destiny Rescue agents have rescued more than 13,000 children from exploitation and abuse.
“I’m sure there are other people that want to be a part of it,” Slusher said. “If I can buy something that’s useful to me and it’s being used to save a child — to pull a child from the hell of sex trafficking — if it can be used to spread the gospel, that’s a no-brainer.”
Christ Coffee works with a California-based supplier, selling coffee products online and fulfilling orders through drop-shipping. When customers make a coffee purchase online, their order will be roasted, packaged and shipped the same day.
For more information or to place an order, visit www.christ.coffee.
–Alan Goforth | MV