PERRY, Fla. (BP)—Hurricane Idalia’s strong winds toppled the steeple on Lakeside Baptist Church in Perry, Fla., but the storm did nothing to topple the faith of Lakeside members.
As the storm unleashed its ferocity on the small rural community Aug. 30, Lakeside Baptist’s tin roof was ripped off and its steeple dashed to the ground.
Pastor Christopher Arnold’s response was simple: “We’re extremely blessed.”
He said no large oaks surrounding the church came down. Only limbs dotted the church yard. Although the tin roof was a tattered mess, the wood under the tin was intact, protecting the interior of the building from water damage.
The steeple can be reattached to its proper resting place, once the roof is repaired. There have been no reports of deaths in the community.
“Our faith is strong,” he said. “Our members are out in the community helping their neighbors with clean up.”
Many of the church members are elderly, said Arnold, who has been at Lakeside Baptist five years. He moved to Perry from northern New York, close to the Canadian border, a long way from the threat of hurricanes.
Many church members count their relationship with the church in multiple decades. The most senior of his members attest they never saw a hurricane of the magnitude of Hurricane Idalia strike their community.
‘The power of prayer really works’
Prior to the hurricane’s landfall, Arnold reminded his church members, “Jesus stills the storm.”
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Lakeside members did not pray for the storm to go somewhere else. Instead, they prayed for God’s protection and preservation.
“The power of prayer really works,” Arnold said.
The church is located in a logging community, where many church members and other residents own chainsaws, skid-steers, loaders and tractors.
Within an hour of the storm’s onslaught, neighbors were working side by side—cutting fallen trees and hauling debris. By afternoon, almost every road was opened for travel, Arnold said.
Arnold was right beside his hardworking church members, serving as a newly trained Florida Baptist disaster relief volunteer. He had no idea that his first disaster relief “callout” would be to his own community.
Florida Baptists set up a disaster relief command center at First Baptist Church of Perry, just a few miles away from Lakeside.
On Sept. 3, electricity was still out in Perry. At that point, the pastor was unsure if his congregation would be able to meet in their building for worship on Sunday.
If not, he was confident they would be working in the community—“being” the church, helping their neighbors in need, he said.
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