About Back Bay Mission

Back Bay Mission was founded in 1922 as an outreach effort of the First Evangelical Church of Biloxi (later United Church of Christ), whose members responded with compassion and service to the needs of poor "fisher folk" living in deplorable conditions along the Back Bay of Biloxi, Mississippi.  Since then, Back Bay Mission has continually grown its services and ministries, always keeping the impoverished and marginalized at the center of its concern.  Although there were no longer any UCC congregations in Biloxi or in the state of Mississippi by the early 1970s, Back Bay Mission remained to offer a witness of the United Church of Christ.  Its commitment is to be faithfully responsive to the emerging and critical needs of God's people, ever seeking a day of greater justice and peace.  Program Areas of Back Bay Mission.

Following the crippling Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Back Bay Mission found itself with no habitable facilities. In fact, of the seven buildings, six have been demolished and the seventh is awaiting a complete interior rebuild. All ministries were discontinued for a few weeks before receiving two donated work trailers from which the staff resumed work and began shaping services to fit the space and the post-Katrina reality.

Within a few months workcamping, now more accurately called "disaster relief/recovery," began receiving work teams from across the country to help the Mississippi Gulf Coast dig out and rebuild. Three mobile homes now serve as housing for these inspired and inspiring groups.

Because of the incredible outpouring of support from UCC churches, individuals, and organizations, Back Bay Mission is recovering more quickly than many locally based agencies. The staff of seven full time employees and four part time persons provide direct services to poor families while creating new independent service agencies. Because of past and current UCC investment in Back Bay Mission's work, over $10 million in vital services are delivered annually to South Mississippians in such diverse areas as education, legal aid, health care, feeding programs, early childhood development, family counseling, housing, and domestic violence.