About Calvary Rescue Mission
Calvary Rescue Mission is dedicated to serving the homeless community in our city. We are committed to providing shelter, meals, and support to those in need. Our mission is to offer a helping hand to those experiencing homelessness and empower them to rebuild their lives. At Calvary Rescue Mission, we believe in the value of every individual and strive to make a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate.
Dennis Rutledge
Executive Director
On June 6, 2024, Bob Freudiger (Brother Bob) retired and Assistant Director Dennis Rutledge was named Executive Director of Calvary Rescue Mission. Known by most as “Chief”, Dennis spent over 40 years in the fire service before coming on staff at Calvary Rescue Mission in 2017. He graduated from the University of Memphis with a double bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration and Fire Prevention Technology. He has also taken numerous classes from Dallas Theological Seminary. He was with Collierville Fire Department for 33 years, serving his last 10 years as Fire Chief, before serving another 9 years with Arlington Fire Department as Fire Chief.
Dennis began serving at Calvary as a volunteer in 2006 after being invited by a friend and asked to share his testimony. He soon began serving once a month, helping to serve the meal and either giving the message during chapel or inviting others to share their testimony. Two years later he was elected to serve on the Calvary Rescue Mission Board of Directors but continued to serve the men of Calvary on the 4th Thursday night of every month (which included Thanksgiving and often, Christmas night or Christmas Eve). He began serving as Assistant Director on a part-time basis during construction of our new building in 2017. With the opening of the new building in the summer of 2018, he was named full-time Assistant Director and served in that role until Brother Bob retired on June 6, 2024.
Dennis married his wife, Shelia, on Super Bowl Sunday in 1979. They have 3 children and 7 grandchildren (5 of which are in the Memphis area). He serves his church as an ordained elder and served his previous church as a board member for more than 20 years.
Tim Schlum
Assistant Director
Hi! My name is Tim Schlum and I’m thrilled to accept the call to serve as Assistant Director of Calvary Rescue Mission. I have served on staff at local churches throughout my career and am excited to continue preaching the Gospel as well as help care for the practical and spiritual needs of every man the Lord sends through the doors of Calvary.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies from Ottawa University in Arizona. I am also almost finished with my Master’s of Divinity degree from Phoenix Seminary. I am the father of two handsome boys, Johnny and Luke.
I am originally from Arizona, but we have made the Memphis area our home for the last two years and have absolutely loved it. I look forward to working hard and, by God’s grace, expanding His Kingdom here in Memphis!
Board of Directors
Andy Bramlett
Woody Dickenson
Brad Gardner
Frank Sizemore
Bruce Brooke
Al Echols
Ed Scanlon
Mark Whitby
Our History
Calvary Rescue Mission opened its doors April 1, 1967, to homeless men in Memphis, Tennessee, by Milton Hatcher. Milton was a drunk and a barber who cut hair at a shop next to Central High School. Through the quiet but firm and constant Christian witness he received from his wife, Betty, Milton came to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He got saved on Sunday night, April 7, 1963 at Thrifthaven Baptist Church. He got under conviction that morning. When the invitation was given that night he ran down the aisle. It was a Baptist preacher that led him to the Lord. He was baptized that very night.
After Milton was saved he said that he knew that God wanted him to do some thing, but he was not sure what it was. He told Betty that he was going to lock himself up in a building behind his house until God told him what to do. Two and a half days later he came out and said that God wanted him to start a rescue mission. Milton got an old hearse and used it to pick up drunks in downtown Memphis.They say that the hearse had quite a sobering effect on the men and Milton was very successful in seeing some saved.
An old brochure for the mission lists the following past locations:
April 1, 1967 to August 1, 1968 – 863 Jackson Ave., August 1, 1968 to October 31, 1969 – 893 Jackson Ave., October 31, 1969 to April, 1972 – 944 Linden Ave., April of 1972 until the present – 960 South Third Street. (Hatcher, 1979)
Over the years, many souls have been saved at the nightly chapel meetings, and also at the luncheons that were started by “Bull” Bramlett. The mission has been blessed to have such notable speakers as Adrian Rodgers, Bobby Moore, Bob Pittman, and others. (Hatcher, 1971)
The dream to have a place that carries out our Lord’s word found in Matthew 25:31-46 lives on today at CALVARY Rescue Mission. Brother Milton went to be with the Lord in August of 1995. In December of that same year, Brother Bob Freudiger graduated from Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary and was called to be the executive director of the mission. Bob and his sweet wife, Barbara, had prayed for years that God would call them into an inner city ministry where they would be able to minister to lost men. God really has a way of answering prayers.
The mission has remained open every day since April 1, 1967, strictly from donations from churches and Christian friends. CALVARY Rescue Mission is a totally independent (dependent on God of course) not-for-profit charitable organization that accepts no government money. Through the years it has pleased God to continue to operate the mission in this manner.
On June 19, 2018, we held our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and moved into our new facility debt-free! God has provided us, with the prayerful and financial support of so many Friends of Calvary, a New Handicapped Facility! This facility will allow us to share Jesus with twice the amount of men than we could before. We are so excited to see the impact that The Lord will be making in the lives of not only the men that come through Calvary but also their families. Often times we may not know exactly how Calvary has helped a man, but many times we will get a letter or a phone call from a momma that has been praying diligently for her son and just wants us to know that we did make a difference in his life. Praise The Lord!! Hallelujah!! I(Kathy Hatcher) can almost hear my daddy shouting, Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!! Praise The Lord! with a tear sliding down his cheek and a big smile on his face. He would be so proud.