Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

Electrician’s chainsaw ‘scam’ opens door to share Jesus

  • October 19, 2021
  • Maggie Evans
  • Disaster Relief, Featured, Latest News, Louisiana, Missions, Tennessee
Gary Cate serves as the “blue hat” or team leader for the group of Tennessee Baptists who are working as a chain saw crew in Hammond, La
(Photo by Sam Evans)

Electrician’s chainsaw ‘scam’ opens door to share Jesus

Chopping firewood might not be everybody’s idea of a good time, but for Gary Cate, it’s something he genuinely enjoys.

Chainsaws definitely make his job easier, but chopping wood provides such a source of enjoyment for Cate that he and his wife heat their house with a wood fire when the weather gets cold.

“It’s just something that I’ve done my whole life,” he said. “I enjoy that.”

And through the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board Disaster Relief’s chainsaw crew, Cate found a good ministry fit. The result has been a relationship that has lasted more than two decades.

Finding his place

“I found a place that I can serve the Lord and do what I like to do,” he said.

Cate, a member of Sharon Baptist Church in Knoxville, joined about a dozen other men from the Knoxville area on a trip to Hammond, La.

The group helped with chainsaw and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

Cate serves as the “blue hat,” or team leader, for the group, joking that he just happened by that role because he had two trees fall in the correct direction.

“We’ve been very wet the last few days (thanks to Tropical Storm Nicholas),” Cate said Sept. 16. “But we’ve been out working in the rain and mud anyways. We came all the way from Knoxville, so we’re going to get in as much work as we can. That’s just part of it.”

When disaster strikes

Cate has been working with Disaster Relief since 2000, serving in more than 25 states the past 21 years.

An electrician by trade, Cate has a gracious boss who allows him to use vacation time and work more flexibly when disasters strike.

The Tennessee team is working out of the Incident Command Center at Woodland Park Baptist Church in Hammond, La.

“This whole chainsaw thing is just a scam,” he joked.

“We came to share about Jesus Christ and the chainsaw work is just to get us in the door.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story appeared in the Baptist & Reflector.

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • First person: A critical ministry role some may overlook
    First person: A critical ministry role some may overlook
    June 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life
    Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life
    June 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech
    Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech
    June 17, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

First person: A critical ministry role some may overlook

Sound engineers? Your role is far more critical than audio levels, EQ and running a sound board.

Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life

While reporting relatively low levels of attendance at Mass, almost half of U.S. adults (47%) say they have a personal or family relationship to Catholicism, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. 

Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin. The case spotlights a New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center fighting a state subpoena it says infringes on its First Amendment rights.

GCR Task Force files unsealed, available for review

The audio files from the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force’s 10 months of work in 2009 and 2010 were sealed for 15 years, the agreed-upon time by the group. The collection is housed in the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives and consists of 57 compact discs and very few paper documents.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel