A Spicy Success – 2026 Missions Chili Cook-off
On Sunday, March 8, our Fellowship Hall was filled with the delicious aroma of simmering spices and the sounds of a very joyful gathering. This year’s Missions & Community Engagement Chili Cook-off was our most flavorful yet, featuring a staggering twenty-five different chili entries!
This event was about more than just finding the perfect bowl of chili. Thanks to our talented chefs and your generous donations, we raised a grand total of $1,053 (and counting) for the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund. In our United Methodist tradition, welcoming the stranger is a spiritual act. These funds will go directly toward keeping families together as they navigate the immigration system. Through a simple bowl of chili, you chose to love boldly.
And now, the results you’ve been waiting for!
Competition was fierce among our 23 contestants, but several chefs rose to the top. Special thanks to this year’s judges, who had a real challenge tasting all of those chilis: Graham Ball from Nehemiah Mission; Brian Bendlak from the BUMC Leadership Board; and Julie Zukauckas from BBH Pride. These winners certainly earned their bragging rights:
- Best Hot & Judge’s Choice: John Comenscheck-Slike (A double victory!)
- People’s Choice: The Mihalek Family
- Best Vegetarian: The Watkins Family
- Best Mild: Ray Carter
- Best Presentation: Michael Gezze
- Best Non-Traditional: Kathy Auble (Special shout-out to Kathy for “inventing” this category with her incredible Chicken Paprikash!)
- Best Cornbread: Sue Hastings
Whether you brought a crockpot, a side of cornbread, or just a healthy appetite, thank you for making this fundraiser such a joyful gathering. We’ll see you at the table next year!
About Midwest Immigration Bond Fund
This year, our Chili Cook-Off will do more than warm our bellies — it will help us live out our calling to love our neighbors.
Proceeds from the cook-off will support the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund, an organization that helps families remain together while they navigate the complex immigration system.
In the United Methodist tradition, caring for displaced people is not a political act — it is a spiritual one. Our Social Principles affirm the dignity and worth of migrants and call us to offer concrete support to those who are especially vulnerable.
Scripture reminds us again and again that welcoming the stranger is part of faithful living. Through something as simple as a bowl of chili and a shared meal, we have the chance to practice compassion in a very real way.
Come hungry. Give generously. Love boldly.