COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) — Patrice Baker walked into the dealership and announced her budget for a car — “free.”

She was planning a women’s ministry event for Change City Church, the new pastorate of her husband and Send City church planter Darryl Baker in the Columbus suburb of Pickerington.

The sales rep, although taken aback by Patrice’s budget, offered her a seat.

“So I told him about Dynetta and her situation and how amazing she is, her background story,” Patrice said. “And he was actually getting a little teared up.”

Dynetta McDonald, a single mother of three children ages 10-17, had been without transportation three years. Dynetta testifies of having fled a sinful life in Georgia, having once been in love with money, having done many things for it, and having learned the hard way that when you love the world, it doesn’t love you back.

She’s thankful for Change City Church, where God has connected her with the spiritual mother she sees in Patrice.

“She’s literally my mom. I know for a fact, God says he’s a mother to the motherless, a friend to the friendless and a father to the fatherless. And I know for a fact he placed Patrice Baker and Pastor Baker in my life for that reason,” Dynetta told Baptist Press. “Because my mom was killed when I was 9, and then I was adopted. And my adoptive mother literally died in my arms (when I was) 13. And so for God to give me these wonderful, amazing, godly people in my life, I know for a fact that it was nothing but Him.”

At the dealership, a car had just come in, but it was well over Patrice’s budget. The 2016 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ had 120,000 miles on it and was listed for just under $13,000. The sales rep had a price in mind, but he would have to talk to his manager, who in turn would have to talk to his manager, each of whom would have to talk to Patrice.

One by one, she told them about Dynetta.

$5,000. “He said this is pretty much as close to free as I can get,” Patrice recalled. “I said I’ll take it.”

She paid for the car in full with her personal debit card, she told Baptist Press, and will not seek reimbursement from the church.

“It’s my personal gift,” Patrice said. “We don’t use the church funds for our Grace Girls Gatherings.”

In its sixth month, Change City is thriving as a church plant, Darryl said. Attendance has held steady during the summer. Husbands who formerly shunned church now accompany their wives in worship, and mentoring and discipleship groups are forming.

“Change is definitely happening in our community through Change City Church,” the pastor said.

Giving a car as a personal gift is nothing strange for Patrice. Giving is in her DNA, she said, taught by her parents who were huge givers themselves. The Bakers live by the principle that God gives seed to the sower and blesses with favor those who give, she told Baptist Press.

“Now this has been all of my life, my marriage. God has truly blessed, blessed, blessed us,” she said. “People look at us and think we have a lot of money, and we don’t. But because we give so much, God gives back to us.”

The car was the grand prize giveaway at the Grace Girls Gathering on June 28 at the church. Dynetta had been praying for a car, she told Baptist Press, and had test driven a 2023 Chevy Traverse.

The car is everything she prayed for, she said, everything her children prayed for.

“When I tell you this is literally what I’ve prayed for, I’ve journaled about what type of vehicle I needed,” Dynetta said. “I know this was God-ordained and this was nothing but a God deal because nobody could have ever known this but the Lord because I communed with Him.

“So for this to happen in this capacity. It has my mind blown. The vehicle is amazing.”

Dynetta teaches her children to pray, including 17-year-old Davarion, 15-year-old Patricia and 10-year-old Nolan, each rotating the responsibility of leading the family in evening prayers. Dynetta served on the launch team of Change City Church in February, is Patrice’s assistant in the Grace Girls women’s ministry, sings on the church praise team, serves on the hospitality team, works a fulltime job and styles hair and caters on the side.

“I am just so grateful and so blessed to receive this from First Lady and just to have this God blessing and my children are excited. They’re happy,” Dynetta said. “We pray for this all the time. Like literally, a vehicle is something we end our prayer with all the time. ‘And Lord,’ my children always say, ‘and Lord please bless my mama with a car.’”

Patrice, who serves on staff of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio as a ministry assistant, leads Grace Girls to empower women to pursue their spiritual gifts and godly callings, even when they’re afraid.

“I personally did it afraid. I did not know who I was until God told me that I was His girl. And once He told me I was His girl, I’m dangerous,” she said. “My license plate says, ‘God’s Girl.’ I am dangerous for the Kingdom.

“And so I encourage each woman to live out their purpose,” Patrice said. “And if you don’t know your purpose, we’re going to help you find your purpose.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)