WASHINGTON, DC— Of One Accord (OOA), a ministry rooted in the heart of Appalachia in eastern Tennessee, has served the region for over three decades. What began as a humble endeavor by founder Sheldon Livesay has blossomed into a comprehensive ministry serving the community’s most vulnerable. Through various programs, including food pantries, thrift stores, medical clinics, disaster relief efforts, and its newly launched broadcast network, OOA is propelling its impact on countless lives.

The ministry was born from a simple realization: the need for a centralized effort to address community challenges. Livesay, a lifelong resident of the area, started OOA as a central hub for churches to work together to minister to tangible needs.

“You don’t think up things to do for God,” Livesay said, “but you watch the city where God’s working and you join Him in His work.”

OOA serves Hawkins and Hancock, two of the poorest counties in the U.S. Last year, they distributed 1.3 million pounds of food and provided services worth $6.3 million to their community.

“To me, that shows only God could have done that,” Livesay said. “I just want to be in His will and His plan for any given minute of my life.”

Recently, OOA expanded its mission and impact. In early 2022, during a quiet time with God, Livesay felt challenged to articulate a clear vision for his organization. With their ultimate vision to reach people with the Gospel, the Lord gave him an ambitious goal: to reach one million people in the next ten years. The board unanimously approved the resolution—the only question was how it would be accomplished.

A week later, while in prayer, a pastor shared a prophetic word with Livesay: that God would give him a television ministry.

“But of course, I don’t know anything about programming, television, or anything like that,” Livesay said. Nevertheless, Livesay approached a friend, Ben Chambers, who had experience in broadcasting and immediately caught the vision. A couple of months later, their first step was to attend the 2022 NRB Convention.

“Without that first NRB conference [we attended], we wouldn’t be here,” Livesay said.

At the convention, Livesay was met with ample help and support from well-seasoned broadcasters and media leaders who shared the same goal of unity, as expressed in the name “Of One Accord.” Chambers said NRB helped “light my fire to see a bigger vision” that even his small town, unheard of by many, could enter the world of broadcasting and have a greater reach.

After three years of planning, Appalachian Christian Network (ACN) launched in March 2024 under the umbrella of OOA. The network partners with churches that excel in evangelism by repurposing their teaching content and broadcasting it multiple times a week. Livesay focuses on discipleship by carefully selecting long-form programming clearly articulating the Gospel coupled with shorter, supplemental messages throughout the week. He hopes the programming will encourage viewers to communicate with God, read the Bible, join a church, and share their faith with others.

Having recently transitioned to new carriers in October 2024, ACN continues to develop and expand its operations. Upon approval, ACN will distribute its programming across multiple platforms, including Roku, Google, Apple, Amazon, and will soon launch its own website. The network will broadcast a variety of nationally recognized programs, such as “Through the Bible” with Les Feldick, “Touching Lives” with James Merritt, “Way of the Master” with Ray Comfort, “Amazing Facts” with Doug Batchelor, “Leading the Way” with Michael Youssef, and more.

Invitations are being extended by Chambers and Livesay to regional Appalachian churches who can benefit from this new platform to get their church’s message discovered all across America.

As ACN expands its digital footprint, OOA continues its vital on-the-ground ministry, with the help of volunteer mission teams from across the country. This upcoming weekend, for Thanksgiving, they will distribute a box of food to nearly 1,500 families. During Christmas, volunteer teams will assist with holiday programs, helping to purchase and wrap gifts, fill backpacks with Christmas items for children, provide meals, and put on a Christ-centered presentation for families. OOA extends its mission globally by supporting pastors and churches in seven nations and providing resources for schools, water wells, seminaries, radio stations, and other ministries.

“We’re just seeing God open doors and we’re walking through,” Livesay said. “We just want to step in where he invites us.”

Livesay believes a spiritual revival is imminent in Appalachia, and prayer is central to his ministry. He has witnessed numerous revivals and spiritual awakenings over the last 15 years in what he calls “the very belt buckle of the Bible Belt.” Livesay and his prayer partner, Fred Dimond, have met weekly for 40 years, and he serves as a coordinator for the National Day of Prayer and Tennessee Prayer Coalition.

“Prayer is the answer to everything in the church,” Livesay said. “If we can go back to putting it in its right place, then we’ll see a whole lot of change in America. … If we’re in the last hours of the history of this world, then we live in the most strategic time in all of history.”

Livesay compares life to a relay race, emphasizing that just as the strongest runner always runs last, we must carry the “last baton” and fulfill the unique purpose God has, to reach the people nobody else can. With all his years of ministry, Livesay is reminded of his childhood in his dad’s workshop, where he would try to assist with projects, but all he could do was hand his father tools or pieces of wood.

“The result of that was some beautiful thing that he created,” Livesay said. “We’re no more than that. We just need to show up in God’s workshop. And the results are going to be ten times what we could have ever done on our own.”

Appalachian Christian Network, through Of One Accord Ministries, has been an NRB member since 2023.

Read more news on Non Profit / Faith Based Organizations, Humanitarian Services and Christian Broadcast Ministry on Missions Box.