By Haley Mitchell Godwin

The 29th annual Swamp Supper will take place Feb.24 at the Tom Harbin Farm Center on Airport Road in Luverne. Cooking will begin at 9 a.m. and the event promises a diverse menu featuring grilled quail, burgers, turkey, camp stew, rabbit, venison, frog legs, chicken, fish, jambalaya, gumbo, salt pork, alligator and more. 

Exclusive to men and boys, the unique gathering ensures a day filled with fellowship, faith, and good food come rain or shine, according to one of the event organizers Steve Defee, who is the pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church in Luverne.

Serving as the master of ceremonies for 27 years, Defee said that the Swamp Supper has been instrumental in introducing many men and boys to the gospel.

“The Swamp Supper provides a great experience for boys and men to come together in camaraderie, in a comfortable setting, and hear and experience a message of faith and fellowship,” Defee said. “We have heard testimony after testimony of how the Swamp Supper has helped people. We will never know this side of Heaven how many souls have been saved, but there have been many boys and men who have come to know Jesus through the Swamp Supper, and that makes it all worth it.”

Jack resident Michael Faulk, a long-time attendee of the Swamp Supper, expressed his anticipation for the annual event, highlighting its significance for bonding and spiritual nourishment.

“My dad, my son and I have been going for over ten years,” Faulk said.  “We look forward to the last Saturday in February every year and the great food and great fellowship. We get to catch up with friends we don’t get to see very often but have the opportunity to do so that day while munching on deer burgers, frog legs and delicious camp stew. This year will be my first year to set up and cook. I will have a 20 gallon cast iron cauldron and will be cooking up a batch of my nearly famous jambalaya.”

Faulk encourages any boy or man that can, to attend the event as he said it is a time of encouragement and an opportunity for those present to draw strength from other men and their brothers in the Lord. Faulk also expressed his gratitude for Defee and Mosely and all those that take part in making this event a success year after year. 

The roots of the Swamp Supper trace back to a men’s fellowship event hosted by South Luverne Baptist Church member and Swamp Supper organizer Dennis Moseley. This gathering took place in a cabin on the Conecuh River that happened to be near a swamp. The name stuck.

Moseley, host of the inaugural event held in 1995, highlighted the collaborative effort involving churches of various denominations.

“It takes over $8,000 to do this and the community is always so gracious,” said Moseley. “Purchasing the food is the biggest expense even though some of the churches that volunteer provide the food they cook. We want people to be sure that although we have about every denomination you can think of helping, this is not about having just the church people come out. We want people to come who might not typically enter a house of worship. That’s our purpose.”

In addition to the food offerings, the event will feature live music, door prizes including the choice of a shotgun or $300, Yeti coolers and more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Lamar Gibson, a 2007 graduate of Luverne High School who, along with his family, will be moving to Southeast Asia where they will be full time missionaries.

Organizers extend an open invitation to all men and boys in the area and beyond, urging them to come on an empty stomach for an experience that combines fellowship, faith, and flavorful delights.

For more information contact Steve Defee at (334) 508-1013 or Dennis Moseley at (334) 670-1002.  There is no charge to attend and no charge to eat. However, there will be donation box at the event if anyone would like to help with offsetting the event costs.