For three weeks in March, Ephesus SDA Church, in San Antonio, Texas offered healthy food alternatives, but also hope, faith, and connection at the Rodeo.

When a local community leader invited the church to provide plant-based food options at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, volunteers rallied to make this first a memorable milestone.

Ephesus became the first church ever invited to participate in the Rodeo’s 76 year history, the first Adventist church to do so, and the only vendor offering a fully plant-based menu. The food and the fixins’ were created by head chef Kenneth York and his two assistants, Kris Brown and Larry Carter. Other volunteers, like John Pickens, transported volunteers between the church and rodeo.

Operating under the name “EASTSIDE EATS: The Ephesus Experience,” the booth was inspired by Psalm 34:8: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”