A small Brewton church’s large gift recently helped push Escambia Baptist Association over the $100,000 mark in cash and resources given to disaster relief since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last August.
Damascus Baptist Church recently gave a $1,000 check to the association’s disaster relief fund, something especially impressive considering the church is the size that “if they have 15 in Sunday School, it’s a big Sunday,” according to Director of Missions Pat Andrews.
The church, located on the eastern edge of Escambia County, has had its pulpit filled by interim pastors for about a year, so the congregation has chosen to put some of the money normally allotted for a salaried pastor into other causes.
“We had a nice little nest egg and decided to return some of that to the good Lord,” said Damascus deacon Charles Stone.
At a recent associational meeting — prior to Damascus’ gift — Andrews revealed to those in attendance that the association’s 35 churches had not only surpassed their goal of $35,000 for disaster relief but nearly tripled it.
The audience gathered there gasped aloud when Andrews revealed the total, Stone said. The amount was $95,000 then, but with Damascus’ gift and several others, the tally topped $100,000.
Escambia Association’s disaster relief efforts have centered around a project taken on by the association since Katrina — Shoreline Park Baptist Church, Waveland, Miss., the near-exclusive recipient of the association’s disaster relief funds and resources.
Andrews said his association’s connection is personal — two years ago, to aid in recovery after Huricane Ivan, the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions earmarked thousands of dollars for hard-hit associations in south Alabama, including Escambia.
“We were just helped so much after Hurricane Ivan and we realized we needed to be ready to help others,” Andrews said. “Most of our damage is taken care of, but the impact of people coming to help us after Ivan is still felt.”
Escambia Baptists decided to impact Waveland Baptists the same way — they immediately began mobilizing to help their brothers in Mississippi. Groups from Escambia Association have traveled the two-and-a-half hours to Waveland 10 or 12 times since Katrina, Andrews said.
“I’ve only been here five-and-a-half years, but this Gulf Coast Katrina relief effort has brought our association together more than anything I’ve ever experienced,” he said. (TAB)
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