For Alabamians and others in the Southeast, April 27 was a defining moment, a time marker in their lives.
They remember well where they were and what they were doing when the deadly tornadoes hit that day.
In Alabama alone, more than 240 people died. The storms touched almost 63 percent of the state’s 67 counties, leaving some with extensive devastation.
Gary Swafford, director of the office of associational missions and church planting for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), who has visited almost all the affected areas, was “overwhelmed with the destruction” he saw.
In Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and Talladega counties — which constitute District 3 — the damage mainly was confined to Calhoun, Swafford said.
While much progress has been seen in the county, thanks to the response of Calhoun Baptist Association, local people, neighboring associations and others, the road to recovery may take years to complete.
Calhoun Baptist Association
On April 27, Calhoun Association’s disaster relief volunteers worked all day to clean up in Calhoun County from the morning storms until they had to take shelter from an even bigger storm, Director of Missions (DOM) Sid Nichols said.
The path of destruction was extensive and significant.
Nichols said the area of damage was 30 miles long and five miles wide in some places. “And everything in that five miles was gone.”
Deaths were reported in Ohatchee, Piedmont, Webster’s Chapel and Wellington, at least nine in all.
One person was killed in the older church building of Mamre Baptist Church, Wellington, where nine individuals had taken shelter, Nichols said. The newer church building was destroyed.
First Baptist Church, Wellington, was hit as well, Nichols said.
He said First, Wellington, has received two mobile units, while Mamre Baptist is meeting at United Fellowship Baptist Church, Alexandria.
Curtis Simpson, executive director for United Way of East Central Alabama in Anniston, said 284 homes and buildings were destroyed. Another 120 sustained major damage, requiring them to be demolished. In addition, 229 had reparable damage and 80 more were termed “affected,” meaning debris needed to be removed from them.
In all, more than 1,500 Calhoun County households completed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) registrations reporting storm damage, Simpson said.
Initially the county did not receive assistance because the destruction was so widespread in the state that disaster relief resources were stretched, Nichols said.
In the days after the storms, “it was the good-hearted church people” of various denominations who took up the cause, providing food, necessities and first aid to those in need, he said.
The shower unit from Coosa River Baptist Association was deployed to Calhoun County, Nichols said.
In the county, 1,500–2,000 meals a day were being prepared for those affected by the storms, he added.
“It was a monumental thing” to prepare that number of meals, Nichols said. But he called it the closest thing to the Bible’s meal barrel story of Elijah and the widow because it was obvious that God was providing.
Nichols said Ten Island Baptist Church, Ohatchee, and Oak Grove Baptist Church, Glencoe, served as distribution centers and feeding sites.
Because looting was an issue, many property owners did not want to leave their belongings to go to a feeding site. So, in many cases, meals were taken to the people, Nichols explained.
Christians were meeting people’s needs immediately and being “the church,” he said. “If this is not ministry, I don’t know what is.”
Nichols said the people of the churches were working in their “Jerusalem” in very significant ways.
“All of our churches have done something,” he said. “All of our churches did their part. Some of my small churches did big things.”
For three weeks to a month after the storms, the focus was cleanup and food service. Then came a time of assessment to see which families could get back into their dwellings with a little assistance. Nichols estimated there were probably 30 such cases.
And Calhoun Association, along with in-state and out-of-state volunteers, has constructed 10 homes, he reported. “Still (there are) a number of homes that need to be built.”
Nichols said another house has been started and construction on one may commence soon.
With volunteer help, discount lumber from a couple businesses and other resources, the association has been able to build 1,200-square-foot houses for about $35,000, he said.
The “major source” of help in rebuilding Calhoun County has been donations, volunteers and Southern Baptist disaster relief in Alabama, Nichols said.
Almost constantly during the recovery and rebuilding phase, the county has had volunteer help, although the number did decrease some when school started.
Nichols noted that there have been “thousands” of volunteers to help in Calhoun County. “We’re appreciative of every one of them.”
It may take years for the county to get back to normal, Nichols said.
On the other hand, life may never be “normal” for the people directly affected by the storms.
“Even though you’re helping them, they’re still hurting,” Nichols said. They have lost a great deal. “Those scars can never heal.”
Five months after the storms, the task of identifying people who still need assistance is ongoing. Also continuing are the responsibilities of acquiring resources and coordinating volunteers to build homes. Calhoun Association’s people also continue to encourage and show love to those whose lives have been affected by the storms.
The ministry of Christians has resulted in some individuals accepting Christ as Savior. Others who may not have been attending church have renewed their connection with believers, Nichols said.
The churches have rallied around hurting people, sought to meet their needs, sent donations and volunteered, he continued.
“It has been an amazing process to observe,” said Nichols, who has been out in the field nearly constantly since April 27.
Simpson observed that homes and lives in Calhoun County are being rebuilt as a result of the coordinated efforts of the association.
Carey Baptist Association
Clay County, where Carey Baptist Association is located, escaped damage April 27.
But “immediately churches in our association began contacting our office about where they could help,” DOM Bruce Willis said.
Carey Association responded by making contacts in Calhoun and Tallapoosa counties to know where to send volunteers, Willis said.
That weekend, a large group of volunteers from Lineville Baptist Church went to Cullman County to work and returned again the weekend after that.
Volunteers from First Baptist Church, Ashland, and Barfield Baptist Church, Lineville, sorted food items in a Calhoun County warehouse, and Corinth Baptist Church, Cragford, sorted clothes in Tallapoosa County and, with the help of Wellborn Cabinet Inc., donated cabinets.
Other churches responded, too. Lineville Baptist; Barfield Baptist; Macedonia Baptist Church, Delta; and the youth of Mellow Valley Baptist Church, Ashland, assisted in cleanup. Clairmont Springs Baptist Church, Ashland, and Oak Chapel Baptist Church, Goodwater, served meals to volunteers.
Mount Zion Baptist Church and Lystra Baptist Church, both in Ashland, and Horn’s Memorial Baptist Church, Talladega, gave funds as did others. All monetary donations were forwarded to the state disaster relief fund.
In fact, Mount Zion Baptist held a benefit yard sale in the association parking lot. The sale raised $1,400 for those affected by the storms, Willis said.
Plus volunteers from Carey Association — along with others from High Pine Baptist Church, Roanoke, in Randolph Baptist Association — went to Cordova in August to roof a house, he said.
“I was really pleased with the responsiveness of the people to the Spirit of God moving in their hearts,” Willis said.
Because so many areas are in the rebuilding phase now, he expects that more volunteers from the association will be serving.
Many skilled people will be needed for rebuilding a lot of homes, Willis said. “We’re still keeping in contact with those in affected areas,” as well as the SBOM.
Clay Baptist Association
The other association serving Clay County, Clay Baptist Association, is made up of seven rural churches with bivocational pastors and congregations consisting mostly of retired people, many of whom are on fixed incomes.
Nonetheless “the people are loving and caring,” said L.C. Harris, pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church North, Delta, and moderator of Clay Association. “They helped at or above their means.”
The association and its churches collected $13,000 to help people affected by the storms. The funds were sent to Calhoun, St. Clair, Walker, Marion, Birmingham, West Cullman and Tuscaloosa Baptist associations, said Fred Amason, chairman of Clay Association’s executive committee.
“They knew more so what needed to be done with it,” Harris said of the money.
However, he was quick to give credit for this outpouring where credit is due.
“It’s about Him and His,” Harris said. “Give Him the glory. He’s the One who gave us the funds and put it on their hearts to give. The praise ought to go to Him.”
Cleburne Baptist Association
When Cleburne County was spared storm damage, Cleburne Baptist Association swiftly assumed a “supportive” role, DOM Larry Riddle said.
Some volunteers were in Calhoun County the next day to give out food and supplies, he said.
But Cleburne Association disaster relief volunteers — who are trained in chain saw, mud-out and chaplaincy — served in other places, too: Tuscaloosa, Henagar, Rainsville and Arab. Chaplains spent a week in Arab at the FEMA center. They also went house to house.
“The first couple of weeks, we had somebody out almost all the time,” Riddle said, adding that Calvary Baptist Church, Heflin; Heflin Baptist Church; and Macedonia Baptist Church, Ranburne, have particularly taken up the challenge to assist. In fact, he said people from Macedonia Baptist are working in Calhoun County almost every Saturday.
In July, the association helped build a home in Tuscaloosa. All churches in the association were involved in that, Riddle noted.
The weekend of Sept. 24, Cleburne Association partnered with Sand Mountain Baptist Association to help build a home. Others from Cleburne Association trained that weekend for future service in disaster relief with shower unit, laundry unit, food preparation and chain saw. Riddle said the April disaster has caused people to see the great need to be prepared for ministry.
He said the association will continue to work in Calhoun County and assist Sand Mountain Association whenever needed.
“We are not leaders in any of these things,” simply the helpers, Riddle said. “It has been quite an effort. We’ve got good folks in the county.”
Seeing the accomplishments in Calhoun County “has been a wonderful thing. It’s amazing how people help people.”
As a result of the storms, Riddle said he has witnessed “a drawing together” of churches as they experience the missions spirit by giving and going. He said he has seen “churches that can’t wait to help.”
Coosa River Baptist Association
The April 27 storms inflicted minor damage in the Childersburg area of Talladega County, said Randy Hagan, DOM for Coosa River Association.
Because there was no significant damage in the county, the association turned its attention to other locales.
“We’ve put all our efforts into Calhoun County,” Hagan said, noting Coosa River Association volunteers have assisted in Webster’s Chapel and Ohatchee.
But he added that they also have ministered in Birmingham, Cullman and Tuscaloosa.
Almost every weekend since April 27, volunteers from the association have worked in Calhoun County. Also Coosa River Association has directed some disaster relief funds to Calhoun Association, Hagan said.
“Our churches really rose to the occasion,” providing meals for 500–600 at a time soon after the storms, he said. “We invited state troopers, police, utility workers.”
The association also has helped build three houses in Ohatchee and Webster’s Chapel.
About a week after the storms, Hagan learned that a truckload of supplies was en route from Arizona.
It was one example of how God worked out details, he said.
Hagan said he found through this experience that whenever there was a specific need, he would discover that God already had the solution on the way.
Coosa River Association’s people are glad to be helpers, Hagan said. “We just try to stand by and wait for the next opportunity. We just try to be as available as we can be.”
Hagan estimated that 300–400 individuals from churches in his association have volunteered in some way.
“Our churches have done magnificent,” he said.
Through the work of Christian volunteers, people are seeing that their neighbors love them, Hagan said.
Also Coosa River Association’s resources have helped many others.
“Our shower trailer has been on the ground steadily since the tornadoes came through,” Hagan said.
At the time he spoke, the trailer was in Holt, where it was expected to remain until Christmas.
Of course, rebuilding will be a long process, and Hagan’s goal is to keep the matter before the people of his association, encouraging them to pray, give and go.
Randolph Baptist Association
“For whatever reason, we were missed,” Clayton Scott said of the wrath of the April 27 storms. “We (Randolph County) had no damage.”
About 35 miles in any direction, though, there was, he said.
Nonetheless the people of Randolph Baptist Association have tried to help their neighbors in need.
Scott, pastor of Rocky Branch Baptist Church, Woodland, and chairman of trustees for the association, estimated that volunteers from at least five churches have worked in storm-damaged areas. Some churches also have given funds for disaster relief purposes.
Seven truckloads of clothes and cleaning supplies were sent from the county to Tuscaloosa and Hackleburg, among other locations. Scott, a member of the New Hope Volunteer Fire Department, said this effort was coordinated by Randolph County’s 18 volunteer fire departments.
Through the relief efforts of Randolph Association’s churches, he believes that many volunteers have learned about and seen firsthand the impact of cooperative missions.
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How to assist in relief efforts
Pray, give and go” continues to be the call to arms in the rebuilding phase. Those working closely with rebuilding projects say funds will be a constant need for quite a while. So will volunteer assistance, especially from skilled individuals such as plumbers and electricians.
To help, contact Calhoun Baptist Association at 256-237-5171, other District 3 associations or the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
The SBOM’s tornado rebuild assistant, Penny Flowers, is helping to connect volunteers with associations that need assistance. She can be reached at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 597.
For a list of needs across the state, visit www.sbdr.org. (TAB)
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Alabamians continue to give sacrificially to disaster relief
April’s storms came at a time when the U.S. economy already was in a downturn.
Remarkably, though, giving to Alabama Baptist churches and disaster relief efforts has remained stable, said Gary Swafford, director of the office of associational missions and church planting for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
“Our people are giving sacrificially,” Swafford said.
“I am impressed with the faithfulness and the sacrificial spirit of our people.”
Donations to disaster relief to help those impacted by storms have been strong.
And Alabama continues to be a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention in contributions through the
Cooperative Program, Swafford said.
“We praise the Lord” for the people’s faithfulness, he said.
For more information, visit www.sbdr.org. (TAB)
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