This story is one of many highlighting the efforts of Baptist disaster relief teams, who have served valiantly throughout another year of storms and crisis. To read more stories on other recent DR efforts, click here.
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief neared the end of its major 2024 deployments on a mountaintop in North Carolina with mass feeding and chaplaincy efforts in the tiny town of Spruce Pine.
Volunteers were serving survivors of Hurricane Helene, the devastating late September storm that swept through Florida, Georgia and Appalachia, claiming more than 200 lives and causing billions of dollars of damage.
Helene was the third hurricane — following Francine and Beryl — to which SBTC DR responded in 2024. But the year was about more than just hurricanes.
“Disaster relief strengthens the faith of volunteers and survivors alike,” said Scottie Stice, SBTC Disaster Relief director. “Volunteers see God’s provision for ministry as they experience Christian fellowship while deployed. They witness a suffering world in which God intervenes with the gospel. Survivors encounter the compassion of Christ through His servants who come to help.”
And help they did in 2024.
‘Mobilized missionaries’
“Our volunteers are, as SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick said recently, ‘mobilized missionaries,’” Stice said.
Throughout the year, SBTC DR volunteers continued ministry along the Texas-Mexico border, responded to Panhandle wildfires, and assisted survivors of Houston and Southeast Texas storms and flooding, North Texas and Arkansas tornadoes, a Temple tornado, and New Mexico wildfires.
Early March saw teams rush to the Texas Panhandle where five wildfires raged, burning more than a million acres.
Volunteers worked in conjunction with churches to serve survivors. Teams prepared more than 1,000 meals using the QRU quick response food truck from Pampa. Chaplains and recovery crews followed.
One pastor noted his church had been praying to be a “beacon of light” in their Panhandle community. DR made that a reality, as church members worked alongside SBTC DR teams.
To read full story, click here.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jane Rodgers and originally published by the Southern Baptist Texan.
