On an unseasonably cool night in Monroe, Louisiana, faithful Mercy supporters gathered together to celebrate all that God has been doing through the lives of the clients they have served over the past year at the first Center for Wellness and Counseling (CWC) located in West Monroe, LA. You could feel the excitement as people gathered at North Monroe Baptist Church in Monroe, LA to celebrate the lives transformed.

In September of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy Founder and President, Nancy Alcorn, along with Mercy’s board of directors made the decision to transition their residential home in Monroe/West Monroe, Louisiana into the first Mercy Multiplied Center for Wellness and Counseling. Through the wellness and counseling center, outpatient counseling is offered to men and women ages 13 and older completely free-of-charge. This evening was a night of celebration and commemoration of the launch of that center.

A special VIP question and answer session was held prior to the start of the show where longtime friend and supporter of Mercy, big Al Cherry of 88.7, The Cross, served as emcee of the event. He also facilitated the Q&A with Founder and President, Nancy Alcorn and GRAMMY-nominated and multi-award-winning singer/songwriter Matthew West. Matthew and his wife Emily have been supporters of Mercy for years. Matthew even wrote his song, “Moved By Mercy” ­after receiving a letter from a Mercy graduate. Her story was shared through the lyrics of that song. “We always want to be part of telling people about Jesus, and tonight, we get to align ourselves with a ministry that does that so well,” said West. “I am so excited about tonight’s show!” “When I first met Matthew, I knew instantly that he was the real deal,” adds Nancy. “Not only is he an amazing performer and artist, but he also brings people into the presence of the Holy Spirit when he ministers to people through his music. He puts on one of the best live shows I have ever seen!”

After the VIP reception, the room began to fill with women who had completed the program at the CWC, Mercy supporters, and of course lots of Matthew West fans! Big Al and Nancy opened the evening with a brief welcome and a video that showed how Mercy had expanded over the past 38 years since opening the first residential home in West Monroe, LA. “When I started this ministry, I thought I was going to open one residential home and live in Louisiana and run that home,” said Nancy. “I never thought Mercy would become the ministry it is today. I think sometimes God doesn’t show you what He has in mind because it can be too much for us to handle.”

After sharing a brief overview for those who may not have heard about Mercy, Matthew took the stage opening with his chart-topping hit, “Grace Wins.” The crowd instantly jumped to their feet and sang along to every word. Matthew welcomed the crowd and shared how much he loves the mission of Mercy and how excited he was to be with everyone.

During intermission, Nancy took the stage again and shared about all the amazing things God is doing through the CWC and how more people than ever before are being helped in the community. She invited a CWC client who had completed the program up to the stage to share her testimony. Susan powerfully shared about the freedom she had found after receiving counseling at Mercy and how God was doing amazing things in her life. After her testimony, the crowd was on their feet celebrating with her and the freedom she had found in Christ. Nancy came back to the stage and encouraged people to call the CWC and to apply to receive counseling so they too could find the same freedom and healing.

Founding board member, Susan Cordell was invited to the stage to join Nancy to pray an official blessing over Mercy, the CWC, and future centers. It was an amazing time of thanking God for not only what He has already done, but also for the future plans He has for Mercy.

The celebration continued as Matthew took the stage and closed out the evening with some of his biggest hits. Before ending the evening with “The God Who Stays,” he shared, “When the concert is over, we leave, but Mercy stays and walks alongside these people. Mercy Multiplied tells people to come as they are, and they mean it.”

After the show, Nancy had a book signing where people were able to say hello and meet her. Several women who were clients of the CWC shared how much the program meant to them and how thankful they were for Nancy and Mercy.

We are so grateful for all the people who came out to support Mercy, especially our volunteers and sponsors. Thank you for your faithful support and heart to see lives transformed!