HELENE’S WRATH BUT GOD’S GRACE

East Tennesseans will remember Sept. 27, 2024, for generations to come. I know I will never forget it.

I knew torrential rain from Hurricane Helene was falling in the mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, but I didn’t know how dangerous things had become until I received a phone call from Rich Lloyd, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church, Newport. There was urgency and heartbreak in his voice. The city was flooding because of the dam breach at the headwaters of the Pigeon River. Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis called it a “catastrophic failure.”

My phone figuratively blew up over the next 24 hours as similar reports came in from Mountain City, Elizabethton, Unicoi, Erwin, Limestone, Greeneville and so many other places. One shocked pastor after another shared horror, heartbreak and hopelessness.

Walls of water blasted down the Nolichucky and Pigeon rivers, destroying more than 500 homes and seriously damaging more than 400 others. Churches, schools, businesses and infrastructure — gone. That beautiful corridor along the Smoky Mountains was destroyed or damaged. Debris is still lodged 30 feet or more up in tree canopies, indicating how high the rivers rose.

It is one thing to hear of what was happening; it is another to see it. Just days after the first calls came in, my wife, Jeanne, and I, along with TBMB staff members Joe Sorah, Gene Nelson and Beth Moore, visited as many places and listened to as many people as possible. It was overwhelming — the destruction was difficult to comprehend.

But a tsunami of help, hope and healing quickly followed this unprecedented disaster and has continued. Three things stand out to me as we’ve arrived at the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.

The Response. We may have experienced Helene’s wrath, but we are also experiencing God’s grace. Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief and a host of like-minded ministries from across the country provided needed resources, human and material. Churches, neighbors and strangers responded. Tennesseans are not impressed with bling or excess and are aptly named “Volunteers.” TBDR volunteer teams from the far west and middle of the state have traveled to the far east side to help “neighbors.” I’m proud of the way Tennessee Baptists have rushed toward the crisis.

The unprecedented generosity. The flood of generosity in response to Helene could not be a more tangible expression of Ephesians 3:20-21. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God can do abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. Truckloads of food, clothing and cleaning supplies have been delivered in abundance from the beginning. Building materials arrive regularly. And Tennessee Baptist churches, other Baptist state conventions and individuals from around the world have contributed millions of dollars. It is shocking, but not surprising. Where God guides, he provides.

The work ahead. Tennessee Baptists have a reputation of arriving early and staying until the job is done when responding to the natural tragedies that overwhelm people. We will stay this time, too. So much progress has been made in repairing and building homes, but so much lies ahead. Picture this recovery as a 26-mile marathon. We are effectively about the 5-mile mark. Incredibly, many families still reside in temporary shelters or in homes infested with black mold because they have nowhere else to go. They need you and your volunteer teams. Two to three teams a week currently serve in the disaster zone. We need four to five teams per week over the foreseeable future to get the job done.

Disasters are awful and devastating for those who experience them, but God’s people are there to be the hands and feet of Christ, bringing hope and healing. If you’ve already come to help, thank you, especially if you’ve come multiple times. If you haven’t had the opportunity, please consider it. The people of East Tennessee desperately need your help and gospel witness.

I am proud to be a Tennessee Baptist. It is certainly a joy to be with you on this journey. B&R