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Leading your church when disaster strikes

  • September 27, 2022
  • Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions
  • Associations, Church Leadership, Churches, Disaster Relief, Ministry Tip, Pastor
First Baptist Church, Reserve, in Louisiana lost the roof of its fellowship hall after Hurricane Ida struck the area in August 2021.
Photo by Sam Evans/The Alabama Baptist

Leading your church when disaster strikes

Disasters come in many shapes and sizes: fire, flood, wind event, COVID-19. The disaster could last a few weeks or a few years. I was the pastor of a church whose facility was destroyed during the tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011. The following two years and two months, we navigated the waters of relocating and rebuilding.

Here are a few key points gleaned through the process.

1. Have your key leaders confirm that property insurance is adequate to cover rebuilding the entire church facility. 

2. During disaster, you will need to make decisions as their pastor. However, for the long haul, you will need to delegate to properly lead. I met with our deacon, finance and personnel teams immediately. The trustees handled property acquisition. We carefully formed a rebuilding team and a vision team.

3. Realize that in difficult times people will disagree. Biblical truth is one thing, opinion is another. Attempt to work together to form consensus throughout rebuilding.

4. Do not rush major decisions. Allow the dust to settle. Bathe the entire process in prayer. Receive advice from people inside and outside of your church family.

5. Lead your people to go to the right source for information: God and His ordained leaders. You and your church leaders need to speak with one voice. Give regular reports. Without ongoing information, people will fill in the blanks with what they think is correct.

6. Leadership is formed in challenging seasons. You will learn more through short-term difficulty than during long-term peace.

7. Prepare for disaster; it could happen at any time. You could write a sermon outline that speaks to sudden disaster, such as Psalm 46, and create a response plan. Do you have a tornado-safe place at the church? How would the church meet needs of church members and community members? Glean from the best of your COVID-19 response. Attempt to discover a few places in your area where the church family could meet if you could not meet in the church facility.

8. Remember the church is a body, not a building. Our emphasis should be future-focused on the body, not the building. The church should function as the body of Christ. Often, the church is too dependent on a building.

9. A fresh start is usually needed to break out of hindering traditions. If rebuilding is necessary, use that time to take a fresh look at church mission and practice.

With a little effort, you can prepare for disaster. Will you have all the ducks in a row? No. But you could be two or three steps ahead. Attempt to thrive and not merely survive if and when disaster strikes.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was written by Ken Allen and originally appeared in Ministry Moments, a newsletter of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Allen has served as a pastor, director of missions and now works with churches and leaders to foster healthy, God-honoring environments.

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