Floods pour in; Baptist love pours out

Updated: 7/20/07

Floods pour in; Baptist love pours out

By Barbara Bedrick

Texas Baptist Communications

WICHITA FALLS—As Texas Baptist Men volunteers cut out soaked sheetrock and carried out a ruined piano, organ and other debris from inside Primera Iglesia Bautista, members continued to worship—at a nearby funeral home.

The temporary church sanctuary has not stopped God from saving lives. Pastor Simon Flores believes holding worship services at the funeral home actually led two mothers to Christ.

A recent drive-by shooting claimed the life of one mother’s son. After Flores delivered the eulogy at the funeral service, the mother attended the church’s Sunday worship services at the funeral home and accepted Christ as Savior.

“As the first mother came up to be saved, another mother also stepped forward,” Flores said. Later, he learned “one mother’s son was responsible for the other mother’s son’s death.”

“Both mothers reconciled. God had his hand in this, and he is putting everything together for us,” Flores said.

Arrangements have been made to move the congregation’s worship services to a chapel at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls. The Baptist General Convention of Texas Disaster Response Team also has surveyed the damaged church structure and is working to help the church with a grant.

For now, TBM clean-out units from the Lubbock Baptist Association, Collin Baptist Association and Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo have wrapped up their efforts in the Wichita Falls area. They assisted almost 50 families in recovery efforts from flood damage. Volunteers from the Wichita-Archer-Clay Baptist Association feeding unit provided more than 4,000 meals to victims and volunteers.

Responding to other flooding, the BGCT Disaster Response Team delivered small grants for five Gainesville families. Texas Baptist Men volunteers provided more than 13,000 meals before shutting down the feeding unit there.

But TBM volunteers, Baptist churches and BGCT disaster relief teams wrapped their arms around flood-ravaged communities statewide.

When James and Rita Bruton of Leon River Cowboy Church in Eastland saw how heavy floods at Lake Leon devastated their neighbors, they were moved to seek help. The couple turned to their pastor, Paul Howie, who invited the congregation to reach out to neighbors in need.

The response was overwhelming; with about one-third of the congregation getting involved. Thirty-three members helped families pack up their belongings and clean out flood debris.

“God opens doors through relationships,” Howie said. “It was an opportunity for our church to grow in faith—Christians aren’t only in the church but reaching out in the community.”

Church volunteers also worked to help two members whose homes were so badly damaged they will have to be demolished, another church family and dozens of neighbors.

Lyn Hagen had 55 inches of water in his home and initially was discouraged by the recovery job before him. That turned to astonishment as he watched 10 Texas Baptist Men volunteers and church members go to work.   

“God didn’t turn his back on me, even though I’ve turned mine on him before,” Hagen said.

Cisco Baptist Association Director of Missions Genoa Goad worked side-by-side with volunteer teams in Eastland neighborhoods, and then several days later moved the association’s offices because of rain damage. The new office temporarily is located at East Cisco Baptist Church.

Another couple hit hard by the floods, Jenelle and Fred Coyle of Duncanville, were amazed at how quickly TBM volunteers removed water-soaked paneling, swept out water and carried out appliances before sanitizing their home.

“I have always been the one helping others, and I had not needed any help until now,” she said. “I thought TBM volunteers only showed up to cook food after disasters. I never knew they helped clean up after floods. This is overwhelming.”

Recovery could take awhile for many of the Lake Leon victims. Water rose more than 10 feet in Carol Brittain’s Leon Lake home. As her life returns to normal, she said she was “blessed to have the help of TBM volunteers” and the BGCT.

BGCT Congregational Strategist Tim Randolph met with Goad and with Baptist leaders in Eastland from First Baptist Church and Leon River Cowboy Church, assessing damages and providing applications for disaster-response funds.

Brittain, a single mother of two teenagers, applied for the funds and TBM volunteers removed flood damaged walls and floors.

Leading TBM’s Eastland teams, Ernie Rice, directed 20 volunteers from the Second Baptist Church in La Grange and the Gambrell Baptist Association clean-out units. Ellis Baptist Association volunteers delivered 1,500 boxes to Lake Leon Baptist Church and helped homeowners pack their belongings so TBM crews could move in to remove damage and sanitize.

Rice also spent much time training local volunteers for nearly two weeks, including a massive effort July 7 which illustrated how a community of faith comes together to help in a disaster.

“It was a special day for the disaster relief effort in Eastland,” Rice said. “It was fabulous. TBM trained and directed 150 volunteers, including local Baptists, members of other area churches and 25 volunteers from Dyess Air Force Base. … God is good.”

To support the BGCT Disaster Response Team, go to www.bgct.org/disaster, or to help TBM efforts, go to www.texasbaptistmen.org.