By Message Staff In the 25 years Louis Husser has served as pastor of Crossgate Baptist Church, he said the situation has never been this bad. The church’s worship center and gymnasium both took in one foot of water from flash flooding over the weekend. While some of his members have come to help with clean-up efforts, he said many are unable do much because their own homes are flooded. Many in his congregation had recently finished repairing their homes from flooding in March. Husser, who had water come within an inch of coming into his own home, estimates work to clean up both structures could take at least three months and welcomes any volunteer labor help. “Pray for us,” Husser said. “We need folks to be aware. Any help we can get would be awesome.” Flooded roadways are preventing Pastor Josh Powell from reaching Woodland Baptist Church in Springfield but he knows there was significant damage. The youth building took in four feet of water, the education building and worship center each had a foot or more and the parsonage about 10 inches. Donations can be dropped off at First Baptist Springfield. His church will need one of the LBC’s shower trailer and mud-out teams, as well as cleaning supplies and … [Read more...]

LAFAYETTE -- The Bayou Church in Lafayette and First Baptist Lafayette will host two important training events dealing with the flooding. The Bayou Church will host its training tonight, Aug. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. while First Lafayette’s training event will be Wednesday evening. Both training events will be led by Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Disaster Relief. Volunteers will learn how to properly and safely assist with flood relief efforts in homes. All volunteers must be at least 14 years old. “Please share the word and join us tonight,” the Bayou Church wrote on its Facebook page. “Together, we can help our community.” Pastor Mike Walker said churches needed to seize upon this event to minister to the community. “This is a magnificent opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a hurting community and literally see lives transformed. “We prepared for this event five months ago as we did a teaching series on Generosity,” Walker continued. “We received a special offering to give generously to five non-profits in Lafayette and Haiti and one of the five was for Disaster Relief. “We wanted to be poised to serve people promptly without worrying about asking for donations when a crisis occurred,” said … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MADISONVILLE – Like a good shepherd, Lane Corley spent the majority of the weekend tending to his flock including helping his worship leader and his family to find shelter after they were rescued by the Louisiana National Guard. One of four families from the Bridge Church in Madisonville who were trapped in their homes by rapidly rising water, Will and Charity Phillips, along with their newborn baby and four-year-old twins, were rescued by one of the Guard’s 5-ton trucks Sunday morning. They were taken to a local restaurant, which was situated on higher ground, until Corley was able to reach them and take them to his home. The Phillips will remain with Corley until the floodwaters recede. Corley, who serves as pastor of the Bridge Church as well as LBC church planning strategist, is thankful all four families were able to make it out unharmed. Still, he realizes they and others in south Louisiana have a long road ahead to recovery. "There are so many neighborhoods, homes and businesses affected by this flood, including East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populated," Corley said. "We've got a lot of work and a great opportunity to let our 'light shine before men' … [Read more...]

By Message Staff LIVINGSTON – Near tragedy turned into jubilation over the weekend at Satsuma Baptist Church. Separated after flash flooding caused some in Livingston to be trapped, family members living near the church were reunited with one another on Sunday. Two different boats transported people to throughout the day to the church, dropping each rescued person off and into the arms of anxious but grateful members of displaced families. Pastor Brad Delaughter said he is grateful for how his congregation and the entire community rose to the occasion. “It was just a blessing to witness that, to see our church was used as a part of that,” Delaughter said. “We are the hands and feet of Jesus. To come together as an Acts 2 church and see the tangible effects are amazing. “And to see all the Southern Baptist churches in our area doing more than they ever have and helping each other minister and supplying each other’s needs where short is truly a humbling experience,” he said. Since Saturday afternoon, Satsuma Baptist has sheltered 110 people. Many people in his congregation have left their own houses – some which were damaged by high floodwaters – to serve meals, pass out supplies and just provide a listening ear … [Read more...]

The removal of wet debris from a flooded home is called mud-out because everything flooded is saturated with muddy water.  The objective is to get the house cleared of all wet debris to discourage the growth of mold and to allow the structure to dry out as quickly as possible so reconstruction can begin.  The following sequence of actions is suggested for your consideration: Look for hazards such as broken gas lines, structural damage and damaged electric systems. Other potential hazards may include contamination by chemical spills and overflowing of sewage systems.   Watch for snakes and insects that may be found in unexpected places. Be aware of personal health and physical limitations. People with respiratory or heart problems should approach mud-out work with great caution.  Furthermore, flood conditions bring increased risk of tetanus and hepatitis. Wear protective clothing such as boots, coveralls, hardhat, gloves and facemask.  A fiber face respirator with N-95 rating is normally adequate for dust and molds, but not for gas or chemical fumes. Open all doors and windows and use fans to help circulate air through the house. Try to prevent any additional damage to the home.  If the roof has suffered damage, … [Read more...]

By John Kennedy, Louisiana State Treasurer BATON ROUGE - State Treasurer John Kennedy asked Louisianians impacted by the historic flooding to keep these important phone numbers handy. These numbers and websites are what people need to file for federal disaster assistance, file a flood insurance claim or to find volunteer opportunities.  As of now, the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa have been declared major disaster areas. FEMA www.DisasterAssistance.gov 800.621.FEMA National Flood Insurance Program www.floodsmart.gov 888.379.9531 Volunteer Opportunities www.volunteerlouisiana.gov 225.291.4533 "The flooding impacted thousands of people.  A number of people lost everything," said Treasurer Kennedy.  "If you're trying to register for assistance on FEMA's website and can't, please be patient and keep trying."   … [Read more...]

By Message Staff HAMMOND - Les Fogleman brought a little sunshine after a dark few days of storms to a fellow Louisiana Baptist pastor and his neighbors on Sunday. Displaced himself after his home received 10 inches of rainfall, Lonnie Tucker was treated to a jambalaya lunch that was cooked by Fogleman in the Hammond neighborhood. Tucker, who is pastor of Stillwater Baptist Church in Hammond, said the Christ-like gesture allowed him a chance to visit with some of his neighbors for the first time as they all worked to repair their flood-damaged homes. Tucker said Fogleman, pastor of Wadesboro Baptist Church in Ponchatoula, has always demonstrated true friendship to him. "So, I wasn't surprised, but I felt like we were soldiers in the trenches and his covering me by cooking while I was fighting by trying to get my house back together," he said. You know you always fight better when you know there's backup." … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA – “We are in this together and we are going to come through this together.” That’s the phrase that has come to the mind of Jeff Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, following the historic flooding that has left him and many others in his church flooded out of their homes. Citing Isaiah 43:2, Ginn said that God is with his congregation and others who have been affected by the flooding, which dumped nearly three feet of rain in some areas since Thursday. “I know we all deeply feel a sense of loss and the challenges before us,” Ginn said during a Facebook live message taped from Istrouma Baptist Church. “When I say we are in this together, it’s not just that you and I are in this together, but the Lord is in this with us.” Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, Ginn addressed the congregation via his own Facebook page since the church was unable to hold services on Sunday morning. He was one of many Louisiana Baptist pastors who took to social media to broadcast a message, either from their church building or a living room. Brian Crain, pastor of Progression Church in Baton Rouge, took to Facebook to deliver his message. Broadcasting from the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell and Philip Timothy, Louisiana Baptist Message For the people of South Louisiana, when it rains, it pours. For the second time in five months, historic flooding has left widespread devastation and suffering through south Louisiana. As of Sunday afternoon, four people have been killed in the flooding, thousands have been displaced and thousands of homes, businesses and churches have been affected by the flooding. According to the National Weather Service, more than 15-18 inches of rain fell in southeast Louisiana beginning Friday. Some areas, though, received even more. Tangipahoa Parish to Baton Rouge got 15 to 20 inches or more, with some recording up to 27 inches of rain. In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches while one weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston Parish. Over a two-day period more than 20 inches of rain fell in the Acadiana area according to the National Weather Service. Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness estimates more than 5,000 people have had to stay in shelters Saturday evening. Over 1,000 vehicles – with people inside -- were stranded on Interstate 12 between Baton Rouge and Covington. Traffic … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALBANY -- Nearly 300 people staying at a shelter at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Albany are temporarily stranded. Lonnie Wascom, director of missions for Northshore Baptist Association, told the Baptist Message the church is serving as an American Red Cross shelter. He said it has plenty of supplies for evacuees but accessibility into and out of the church by roadway is next to impossible. “The people there are tired but considering the situation, the volunteers at the church are handling things the best they can,” Wascom said. The historic flooding has shut down many roadways in Livingston Parish, forcing many residents out of their homes and countless rescues of those trapped in vehicles and houses. The Louisiana State Police and Louisiana National Guard are attempting to rescue motorists who have been stranded on Interstate 12 for more than 24 hours. Helicopters are dropping food and water to those trapped on the roadway. Wascom said to call the situation bad is an understatement. “I just completed a recon of part of the western portion of our association and it’s bad,” Wascom said. “And it is worse the further west you go. And there are also those on the east side of … [Read more...]