Scarlet Hope, a local ministry that reaches women in the entertainment industry, will open a bakery in Shelby Park Dec. 16 with the help of Louisville organizations including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Scarlet’s Bakery is a social enterprise of the ministry and will have its grand opening Jan. 16, 2016.

Several female students and student wives represent Southern Seminary through their volunteering efforts with Scarlet Hope. The ministry began in 2008 as a nonprofit organization founded by Rachelle Starr with the mission of “sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ to women in the adult entertainment industry.”

According to its website, the bakery is “devoted to teaching transferable job skills that help exploited women overcome adversity and achieve financial freedom through offering delectable, homemade baked goods via our retail location, online store, and catering service.”

Southern Seminary leaders have also assisted Scarlet’s Bakery. Throughout the planning process, Southern served as a liaison between Scarlet’s Bakery and Pioneer Campus Caterers, the company which provides catering services to the seminary. Seminary staff set up several different training sessions with the bakery and a couple of tours to demonstrate how the seminary’s kitchen is set up and how the facilities are run.

In the spring of 2015, Kari Payton, Southern’s general manager of Legacy Hotel and the director of dining services, and Jeff Dalrymple, Southern’s vice president of hospitality services, sat in on a tasting presentation from Scarlet’s Bakery that included a PowerPoint presentation, its packaging, and a sample of each of its products.

In April, a team from Southern volunteered their time during the 1937 Project to help transform Scarlet’s Bakery. Through renovation of an old building, students removed debris, worked to expose the original brick wall interior, and removed a few interior walls.

At the Sept. 11 Fall Festival at Southern, Scarlet’s Bakery had its own tent station, providing information about the ministry and samples of the bakery’s signature cookie.

Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. offered a keynote address at a fundraising event for Scarlet’s Hope, Oct. 30, through which sponsors help raise money toward the 2015 year end total of $200,000.

Scarlet’s Bakery served its Red Velvet Crinkles and Ginger Spice cookies alongside 5th & Broadway Campus Store at the annual SBTS Christmas concert Dec. 5.

Dalrymple says Southern plans to support Scarlet’s Bakery by selling its products at the seminary’s Founders’ Cafe. After Scarlet’s Bakery is up and running, he says Southern hopes to partner with it for additional catering services and special events.

Read about Southern alumnus Bryce Butler's role in serving Louisville missions.