Ten years after starting a medical ministry in the church basement on Harrison Street, about 85 members of First Baptist Church and several other local congregations gathered Sunday to dedicate the ministry’s new, larger building about two blocks away on Adams Street.

Over the last decade, on the third Thursday of each month, patients have gathered at the clinic hours in advance of the usual 5 p.m. start time to receive medical, dental and pharmacy services, said clinic volunteer Hester Pitts.

Good Shepherd Community Center in a former school building on Cherry was the first to offer a clinic here for people not covered by public or private insurance and was recognized during the administration of the first President Bush as a “National Point of Light.”

Its clinics were during the day, and Dr. Dan Edney, who started the ministry with a handful of others and has been with it since, said offering the services in the evening fills a void.

“We chose to do it at night because we knew that we’d be seeing the working poor,” Edney said. Taking a day off from work, even for health care, is often a break that patients can’t afford he said. Edney began the ministry with just a handful of people in 1997. The space is the fourth since the ministry began. After moving out of the basement, the clinic was in a church-owned house on Harrison Street, before moving to 1017 Jackson St.

Edney said the ministry is approaching 10,000 patients served. He estimated that the clinic has provided nearly $1 million worth of health-care services over the past decade. “Eleven years ago, I was seeking out what I was supposed to be doing,” said Edney. Now a decade later, “It’s been such a blessing to the community,” he said.

In 2005, church member and clinic coordinator Pitts said the clinic served about 43 patients each month. In September, the clinic served a record 93. And although they sometimes wait for hours, Pitts said patient complaints are few. She said most are just as excited to have someone to talk to as they are to have their health needs met.

The two-story Mafan Building at 1315 Adams St. was built in 1950. It was donated to the church in July 2006 by a member who asked to remain anonymous. The first floor has been renovated. The work included installing new tile and carpet, new doors, plumbing, heating and air conditioning and a complete electrical rewiring. Except for major plumbing work and installing the air system, all the work was done by church members or the family and friends of church members, said Richard Stuart, who supervised the renovations.

A records and reception room, a lab for blood work, four exam rooms, a triage room for medical assessments, dental suites and a dental X-ray machine, a pharmacy, counseling rooms and reception area are on the first floor. A praise and worship room and small-group rooms are upstairs. The small-group rooms include space for the church’s Celebrate Recovery program. The building also houses a full operational pharmacy. The medications are collected through grants, donations after a family member dies and new legislation that allows donations of excess medicines from nursing homes, Pitts said. Narcotics are not available. All the medication is inspected and dispensed by trained personnel. The entire building is 7,200 square feet.

When the building was turned over to the church, Celebrate Recovery, a Christian-based addiction recovery program began meeting upstairs. That program, too, has been successful in touching lives, said Jim Karel, who leads the group.

“It’s so exciting to see life come back into people’s eyes,” he said. The group, which helps people overcome addictions of all kinds, has hosted up to 70 people. “This building is ministering to people — God is working and it’s a blessing to be here.”

The clinic also serves the spiritual needs of its patients. Each receives spiritual counseling throughout the visit, regardless of the health services sought. The entire clinic staff of about 35 believes that sharing the Gospel is just as important as the care they provide, said dentist Mark Chaney, who has been with the clinic for about six years.

“What makes this ministry special is action” and not just words, he said.

Currently due to the volume of patients, the only dental service offered is tooth extractions, but Chaney said a dental hygienist is expected to join the all-volunteer staff within the next few months. “We’ve pulled up to 50 teeth in one night,” Chaney said.

Although started by First Baptist Church, Pastor Matt Buckles said the support of other churches has always been important, and Pitts agreed.

“This is not a First Baptist ministry — it’s God’s ministry,” said Pitts. The ministry would not work without the support of everyone she said. For those who would like to help in any capacity, Pitts said there are only two requirements — loving people and loving God.

“I just cannot tell you all the blessings we have received” so far, she said. “I’m excited about this building, and I’m excited about the future. To see how God has used this ministry has been amazing.”