By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
Nearly two weeks after historic flooding has ravaged many parts of the state, both Southern Baptist and Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief units and a growing number of volunteers continue tireless working to help rebuild lives and give hope found through Jesus.
Since the flooding began, churches at 12 locations — First Baptist Church in Haughton, North Monroe Baptist Church, First Baptist Church in Farmerville, East Leesville Baptist Church, Pinehill Baptist Church in Leesville, Cross Roads Baptist Church in Vinton, Westside Baptist Church in Natchitoches, Horseshoe Drive Baptist Church in Alexandria, Trinity Baptist Church in Franklinton, Woodland Park Baptist Church in Hammond, First Baptist Church in Bogalusa and Rolling Hills Ministries in Ruston — have served as staging areas for Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief operations. Volunteers from 13 states so far have responded.
John Cowling with Rolling Hills Ministries said multiple opportunities for service are available and volunteers needed.
“Those who are wanting to serve can visit one of these locations and they will plug them into serving beside a trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer,” he said.
With the need for trained disaster relief volunteers a high priority has been placed on emergency training session sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Disaster Relief. Three sessions have already taken place and four more are scheduled this week.
Two of those sessions will take place in Sulphur and Natchitoches Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Houston River Baptist Church in Sulphur will offer mud-out training, where volunteers will learn how to clean out the inside of homes damaged by the flooding. Trinity Baptist Church in Natchitoches will hold mud-out and shower unit training that night as well.
The cost is $28 at both locations and includes a hat and shirt.
Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge will hold mud-out training. The training fee is $22 and includes a hat and shirt.
And through Saturday, First Baptist Church in Haughton will host two short sessions each day for walk-up volunteers wishing to minister in Bossier, Caddo and Webster parishes.
Pastor Gevan Spinney said the free sessions are at 7 a.m. and noon Monday through Saturday until further notice, and volunteers should come wearing rubber boots. The remainder of the equipment will be provided.
Over the weekend, 134 volunteers were trained in mud-out, feeding, chainsaw, childcare and ham radio at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston while another 25 volunteers received training at Woodland Park Baptist Church in Hammond.
For more information about volunteering or giving to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts, go to the Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief website.
Committed to rebuilding
Nearly nine feet of water rose in a 12-hour period on March 11 at Zenoria Baptist Church in Trout, postponing its worship services that following Sunday and leaving the future the church as a meeting place uncertain.
The waters have since receded and the church has made its plans for the future clear – they will rebuild.
To help with costs to reconstruct the church – which did not have flood insurance – leaders at Zenoria Baptist have established a Go Fund Me account. The goal is $250,000, Pastor Joel Johnson said on the Go Fund Me page, https://www.gofundme.com/Zenoria.
The water inside the sanctuary at Zenoria Baptist Church has receded but the damage left behind is extensive.
Built in 1922, the sanctuary was the only remaining original structure in what was a booming town and community started in 1916. The sanctuary and fellowship hall underwent major renovations in 2012 and 2013 and an enclosed children’s playground was added.
The floodwaters carried away the playground equipment and the sanctuary and fellowship hall are beyond repair, Johnson said.
“Zenoria Baptist Church 2016 will be as our forbearers of faith,” Johnson wrote. “We will build a new building for the saints of Zenoria and the surrounding area to meet in and reach the lost for Christ.
“We have set a goal of $250,000 to replace what it has taken 100 years to build,” he continued. “Pray for Zenoria Baptist Church and Zenoria community. God Bless each of you as you do.”
The mission field is here
It usually Pastor Paul Watts leading the disaster relief team from First Baptist Church in Franklinton to help with a response in another state. Not this time because the shoe is on the other foot for FBC Franklinton.
The church has sent teams to respond to tornadoes in Alabama and Arkansas, fires and floods in Colorado and a hurricane in New York City.
But after historic flooding by the Bogue Chitto River swept through Franklinton, Watts and his veteran DR teams have had the opportunity to respond to the needs of their own community.
Since March 16, around 200 volunteers working out of First Franklinton have prepared food, cleaned out the inside of homes and prayed with those affected by the flooding. Groups from multiple local denominations along with a few out-of-state teams from Alabama and North Carolina have all contributed to the relief effort.
Site coordinator Richard Knight said 276 requests for mud-out assistance have come into the church, with 133 assessed. Teams from the church completed 56 jobs as of Sunday.
Knight said this small, close-knit community has responded and pulled together to help their neighbors.
“Louisiana is our backyard,” Knight said. “Louisiana is our people. It’s bene heartbreaking to see people who are hurting. But we are glad we are here and able to reach out to help them in any way we can. We can go to mud out their homes and they can start to think about how they can rebuild.
“It’s a heartbreaking time but very rewarding,” he continued. “We are serving our Lord and Savior Jesus to serve our fellow community. We are serving him. That’s the reason we do it. When we can pray and love and minister to them, it’s more than mudding out a house. If we leave there without giving them hope and sharing Christ, we cannot do what we are called to do.”
In the days and weeks ahead, Knight asks all Christians to pray for the volunteers working in the area.
“Pray for our crews as they go out to help and go minister to them in any way they can,” he said. “Pray that we get the help we need to accomplish this work and we would retain the right attitude and heart.”
Life-changing help
In addition to the 40 people who have participated in walk-up training at First Baptist Church in Haughton, Pastor Gevan Spinney said 20 additional trained volunteers including teams from Missouri and a youth group from Arkansas have ministered out of the church.
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Louisiana State University-Alexandria plans to bring 15 students next week, Spinney said. And they will have plenty to do as more than 100 homes have been assessed, with more on the waiting list.
On Sunday, during its morning worship service, the congregation prayed over all the disaster relief teams.
“I told our church that since these men and women have driven hundreds of miles to sleep in our facility to love on our neighbors, we should be beside them,” said Spinney, who is also president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Spinney, who served with a team Friday in Minden, recalls the response they received from a homeowner the team was helping.
“She hugged me and said ‘I would never be able to do this without y’all,’” Spinney recalled. “The response the assessment teams hear the most is ‘This is free? How can you do this for free?’”
Call for help
Bruce Baker, director of Carey Baptist Association in southwest Louisiana, said operations have turned from emergency to recovery mode in southwest Louisiana.
Teams from churches continue to minister at Starks Baptist Church and Crossroads Baptist Church in Vinton, with a heavy presence of local volunteers. First Baptist Church in Vinton, Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, Maplewood First Baptist Church in Sulphur and Houston River Baptist Church in Sulphur all are among the churches in the association helping in the relief efforts.
“We couldn’t have gotten this relief operation done without help from those churches,” Baker said. “Everyone is doing the best they can and are coming together in a tremendous way.”
Baker said at the moment, he is looking for between 10 and 20 gallons of Shockwave No. 8310, which is used for mold remediation. He said none of the stores in his area have the item in stock. Anyone who does have this item are asked to contact Baker at 337.474.1865.
Flooded-out pastor expresses appreciation
Monday morning, a church planter from Covington took to Facebook to express appreciation for assistance others in his community have given his family.
The home where Kirk Strawbridge, pastor of the Bridge Church in Covington, was living took on 10 inches of water on March 11. They lost nearly all their furniture to the floodwaters. First Baptist Church in Mandeville’s Barker’s Corner campus is allowing the family to stay in its parsonage.
Cross Roads Church in Hammond and the church’s parent church, the Bridge Church in Madisonville, both have donated furniture to help them. On Sunday, Strawbridge’s church gave his family $500 worth of food and gas gift cards.
Strawbridge said God has shown his family His love and sovereignty throughout this ordeal, showing He is greater than any earthly flood.
“God has been so great through this trying times of our lives,” Strawbridge said. “This is proof we serve an awesome God.”
