Caleb Folsom opened The Proper, a coffee shop and ministry in Glennville, this past January 2024 next to High Maintenance Salon on Hwy. 301 N. He shared the purpose behind the shop’s formation to Glennville Rotarians at their weekly meeting on January 31, 2024.
“Our goal is to offer coffee, conversation, and community. By offering great coffee, we feel we can encourage edifying conversation that inspires our community,” said Caleb, adding that he is a first-time business owner. He is the son of Kelly and Karen Folsom, owners of The Farmhouse.
“We purchase our coffee from Three Tree Coffee Roasters in Statesboro, who purchase the coffee from farmers around the world. A portion of their proceeds go to fighting sex trafficking, and their mission statement is admirable in making sure that these farmers are paid a fair price for their product,” said Caleb.
“Coffee and fellowship go hand in hand. We know that coffee brings a great diversity of people together, and we hope that this will lead to a diversity of great conversations. We hope to see people engage in face-to-face conversation, which seems to be lacking in our society today,” said Caleb, attributing much of this to cell phones and social media.
“I hope to bring different lines of thinking together so people can see that they can disagree without being against each other. We often don’t take the time to meet up and talk one on one. I hope to bring this type of edifying conversation back at The Proper,” said Caleb.
Another part of the ministry of The Proper is to meet the needs of shut-ins and widows who may need hot meals and fellowship with others. Also, Caleb and his wife, Kristen, are foster parents, and he hopes to be an encourager to others to consider fostering. He also wants to be a resource for assistance for women who have found themselves with an unplanned pregnancy.
“I encourage anyone to contact me who would like to sit on a panel to propose ideas that might be beneficial to the community so that we can host intentional public conversations in a semi-formal manner, but not a public debate type of atmosphere. I feel that will help bridge the generational gap and for the older and younger generations to realize the benefits of each and to respect each other. We all need to realize the importance of community itself and how we can contribute to it. Plans are to team up with other pastors to discuss doctrinal differences in an edifying way,” said Caleb, who is the pastor of Mendes Baptist Church.
Through this process, he hopes to promote reasoning, patience, and critical thinking skills necessary to enjoy the gift and art of conversation on a more mature and meaningful platform than the Soapbox on Facebook, or even a text or phone call.
The Proper has two seating areas for between 35 and 40 people, several comfortable couches and chairs, a mini library for both children and adults, and an atmosphere that endears his customers to interact with each other. It is open Monday-Wednesday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. In addition to coffee, hot chocolate and hot teas are offered along with several pastry options, such as cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and cheesecake.
“We want The Proper to resonate with those who want a true, proper Christian atmosphere that will edify and benefit the community,” said Caleb.
Caleb and his wife have five daughters, of whom two are in the process of being adopted by Caleb and Kristen.
“It is our aim, as a family, to serve the Glennville community in a variety of ways with The Proper serving as a ‘hub’ for different ministry opportunities,” said Caleb.
Glennville Rotary Club meetings are held each Wednesday from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at the Glennville Garden Club Center. If you would like to attend a meeting or are interested in joining the club, please call Club Membership Chair Pam Waters at 912-237-0248 or Club President Joe Sikes at 912-481-2893.
