Gallup, New Mexico’s Firewood Ministry Serves All

By Hannah Stinson

Firewood delivery by volunteers

The First Church of the Nazarene in Gallup, New Mexico, operates a firewood assistance ministry that provides heating wood to anyone in need, regardless of income, background, or affiliation. Serving a region where many households rely on wood heat, the program offers a practical response to energy insecurity in a predominantly rural and tribal community.

The church’s firewood lot is located outside of Gallup near Mount Taylor, where volunteers regularly gather to cut, split, and prepare firewood for distribution. Pastor Chris, who leads the congregation, coordinates volunteers from sister ministries and nonprofit organizations across Oklahoma and Colorado, including the McGrady Foundation and Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. Together, they supply the labor needed to process large volumes of wood for community use.

Pastor Chris posing with Firewood Safety Toolkit and Iris the cat

Pastor Chris moved to Gallup from Colorado approximately sixteen years ago after accepting a call to lead her own congregation. After learning about the success of Bethany First Church’s firewood assistance program in Oklahoma, she adapted a similar model to meet local needs in Gallup. Because the city is located within the Navajo Nation, the majority of the church’s congregation and firewood recipients are tribal members.

The ministry currently receives truckloads of logs sourced from forests in Colorado and Oklahoma, providing a steady supply of raw material. Firewood remains a vital resource in the region, used not only for household heating during winter months but also for ceremonial and cultural purposes. For Pastor Chris, redistributing firewood is both a service to the community and an expression of faith.

truck load of bucked firewood logs

Collaboration has been central to the program’s success. Mentorship and operational guidance from Bethany First Church helped Pastor Chris build the firewood ministry into a reliable assistance network. The ministry continues to rely on partnerships to sustain its work and expand capacity.

The First Church of the Nazarene distributes firewood to anyone who requests assistance. Looking ahead, the ministry hopes to secure additional wood supplies in order to build a reserve of split firewood and shift more effort toward delivery during the winter heating season, when transportation can be a barrier for many households.

Support from the Alliance for Green Heat’s Firewood Bank Assistance Program has strengthened the ministry’s operations by funding new wood splitters, personal protective equipment, and a trailer for hauling firewood. These investments have improved both safety and efficiency, allowing the church to better serve its community.

Through continued partnerships and steady volunteer support, Pastor Chris hopes to sustain and grow the program—delivering processed firewood one trailer load at a time to meet ongoing community needs.