Introduction The painter put the final stroke on the new partition, laid his brush down, and looking at the latest of many rearrangements of the same space, announced to the assembled MIFA personnel working around him; “This is it…, until the next time.” Both he and they knew from experience that the next changes would not be too long in coming. When you work for the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association, you expect that nothing will remain the same for very long. During its twenty years of existence, change and expansion have been the hallmarks of the organization. A closet today might become an office tomorrow. MIFA is the helping hand that rescues many needy people in Memphis and the surrounding area. An ecumenical, nonprofit agency, MIFA “responds quickly to critical and emerging unmet human needs through well-managed services with and on behalf of the caring people” is the statement of mission adopted by the Board of Directors in 1987. Confirmed at the same time were philosophical goals that reflect the intention to foster “a spirit of caring and sharing; to maintain a broad base of local support to leverage other funds and resources; to rely on the strength and support of volunteers and facilitate opportunities for them to serve; to assist the needy in a manner that enhances their well-being and preserves their dignity; and to imprint the organization with a positive, cooperative spirit, along with an innovative business-like orientation.” Consistent with these philosophical concepts during MIFA's growth and expansion, its directors have made certain that it remains lean and spare, using few resources or funds for administration. At the same time, it remains open to heed the unanticipated needs that arise in the ever-changing urban environment with its functions. That environment is a city which, although the largest in a mid-west bordering state, is, in feeling, climate, tradition, politics, and religion, more akin to the adjoining “deep South” State of Mississippi than it is to the rest of Tennessee. Memphis, founded in 1819 by Andrew Jackson, James Overton, and Marcus Winchester, is a major sales and distribution center for the Mid-South, as well as its medical center. Its population of approximately 650,000 is almost equally divided between Whites and Blacks. Memphis is a church-oriented city; its over seven hundred churches and synagogues outnumber its gasoline stations. The religious tradition of Memphis has been “shaped by frontier, rural life-style, and cultural insulation,” write Dr.'s Peter Takayama and Suzanne Darnell of Memphis State University. Their article on the development of MIFA, “The Aggressive Organization and the Reluctant Environment; The Vulnerability of an Interfaith Coordinating Agency” evaluates the religion of the area as characterized by evangelism, salvation of the individual, and the belief that the problems of society are not the concern of religion. Practiced by most Memphians, this brand of religion sanctioned the status quo and did not predispose the city to be the home for a vital metropolitan inter-faith organization. “That MIFA exists at all was what fascinated me,” says Dr. Darnell. “It was ecumenical, interracial, and it arose at a time of racial hostility. It was devoted to social action when the community was not.” Many organizations with similar goals originated in various cities during the 60's when the climate fostered innovation. Most of them have disappeared, while MIFA has survived to become part of the fabric of contemporary life, despite the odds against it and many predictions of failure. How it arose, the historical context of its origins and development, why it has persisted and flourished in the unpromising soil of Memphis, Tennessee, its connection to the community in which it works, and the unusual people who have contributed their efforts and talents to it will be the focus of the MIFA story. Next: A Time of Upheaval & Change