When Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna, adopted four children out of foster care, they did not just give them a loving family. They created a movement.
In 1996, the couple, the leaders of the Bennett Chappell Missionary Baptist Church in Possum Trot, Texas, first adopted the four children, then they rallied their congregation: Between 1998 and 2000, 22 families from their church also adopted difficult-to-place children from the local foster system. In all, 77 children were adopted by members of the church, many of whom had been victims of sexual and physical abuse or unsafe living situations.
The community’s effort is now the subject of the film Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, which hits theaters July 4. Executive produced by Letitia Wright (Black Panther), the film had a special screening on Juneteenth, ahead of its theatrical release.
See an exclusive clip from the film here:
“Our story is that of a group of people that would not give up on children,” Bishop Martin told the Daily Beast’s Obsessed. “We were determined to work for the good of the children. And if we could do it, anyone community could do it.”
He hopes the film leaves an imprint on audiences’ lives: “After people see Sound of Hope, I want to see love demonstrated. I want to see commitment demonstrated. I want to see people moved to action. I want them to know the beauty and power of adoption. I want to see hundreds and thousands of children come out of the system. And that these kids will know this is a movement of God, and that there would be no way this could be done without God’s hand being on it.”
Donna Martin echoed the sentiment: “This film is breathtaking. I love being able to share what God has already done in our little community.”
“The name of the movie is so fitting: Sound of Hope. I think there is an anointing on this film that will cause healing in any family, to any person in any walk of life,” she said. “I believe this film is going to cause revival in the nation, and we will bring all of these kids out of the system into loving homes.”
