ABDR Volunteers Deploy to Louisiana After Hurricane Laura
When Robert and Elsie Whittle heard Hurricane Laura was headed right for them, they couldn’t believe it. A tree had already fallen on the back of their home earlier this summer when high winds and tornadoes had torn through their hometown of Leesville, Louisiana. They’d lost their kitchen, and since they didn’t have homeowner’s insurance, […]
Alabama Coast Cleaning Up After Sally
Romar Beach Baptist Church in Orange Beach and Camp Baldwin in Elberta each sustained significant damage as Hurricane Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores in the predawn hours of Sept. 16. Romar Beach Baptist Church suffered extensive damage, inside and out, according to pastor Chris Fowler in a Sept. 17 Facebook post. Windows built to […]
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Workers in Gulf Shores 2 Days After Hurricane Sally Wreaks Havoc
Just two days after Hurricane Sally made landfall, Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief workers were at First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores, getting ready to dig in. Mark Wakefield, the state’s lead strategist for Disaster Relief, was onsite and surveying the damage to the church, which included flooding and a blown out window in the sanctuary. An […]
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Teams, Equipment Deployed to Louisiana Following Hurricane
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are headed to Leesville, Louisiana, to assist in cleanup efforts following Hurricane Laura. Two ABDR chainsaw teams will work alongside South Carolina Disaster Relief to help in the Leesville area, according to Mark Wakefield, disaster relief strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Leesville is located in south-central […]
Cahaba Association Disaster Relief Leader Doug Vance Sees God’s Hand in Ministry Role
Doug Vance said every time he stands in someone’s yard with a chainsaw, the person talks about how amazing it is that someone would come all the way there to help them. And every time, Vance — leader of the Cahaba Baptist Association disaster relief team — tells them that’s not the amazing thing. MUCH […]
Churches Damaged in Easter Storms
Lawler Baptist Church, near Dora, and Shoal Creek Baptist Church, Priceville, are two churches with reported damage from today’s Easter storms moving through the state. Lawler Baptist’s building “took a beating” by the storm pounding Walker County, according to Birmingham’s ABC 33/40. Shoal Creek Baptist was struck by lightning mid-day and suffered steeple and roof damage, according […]
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Donating 2,000 Masks to Law Enforcement, Healthcare Workers
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), announced today (March 26) that Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) is donating 2,000 N95 masks to local law enforcement agencies and hospitals in the state. “We are using current supplies to meet specific requests,” Lance wrote in a tweet. Mark Wakefield, SBOM […]
TAB Staff Member Part of Disaster Relief Efforts in Southern Tennessee
After being trained by Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief officials earlier this year, I donned my yellow shirt and yellow hat for the first time Nov. 3–4 in Adamsville, Tennessee. The area had sustained 75–100 mph winds from Tropical Storm Olga the previous weekend leaving portions of the town a war zone and I joined a […]
Calming presence: There’s a ‘place for everyone’ in local, national disaster relief efforts
Cookie Garner Baker says she could tell a tornado was coming. The sky looked strange as she helped an older lady get in her car and head home from her church in Manchester, Tennessee. “I got in my car too and just as I made the turn at the end of the road behind the […]
Children’s Honor Choir Brings Message of Hope During Recent Tour
The Alabama Baptist Children’s Honor Choir returned from its annual tour energized about the significant ministry opportunities it experienced, even beyond the music performed during two concerts in Lynn Haven, Fla. The March 1-3 tour by the auditioned choir, which included 151 students in grades 4-6, took it to an area that had been ravaged […]