The church is a place of refuge to those in need when disaster strikes, but when the church is in need, who steps in to be their refuge?
Our pastor disaster program helps pastors, and their families, get back into their homes more rapidly after a disaster so that they can minister to their congregations during calamities. They also help churches to clean up and be able to become distribution points for supplies (water, cleaning supplies and other basic needs).
In a widespread natural disaster (like a hurricane or flood), people struggle with loss. It may be property, items of emotional value or even the life of someone close to them. We want to free pastors as much as possible from worrying about how their own house will be repaired when resources are sparse. A pastor’s time is better spent in being present with people who are hurting than on the phone with the insurance company or the plumber. Also, at the church building, clearing parking lots, fixing bathrooms opening rooms for shelter and the like is not what a pastor is proficient at doing, nor should it take away from their ability to take care of their congregation and family. When a pastor can’t be with the people in their congregation who are hurting, it is hard on them and the people who rely on them for support and counsel. But what happens when supplies, labor and skilled help are spread thin due to the needs of so many people? Someone is waiting for help. We don’t want that to be the pastor. Also, the church building may be centrally located and be an excellent distribution point for vital supplies.
During a disaster like that, we send crews of volunteers to areas of devastation. Often, we do the preparation on a pastor’s house to get trees away, water cleared, ruined items hauled away and anything salvageable returned to the family. This clears the way for others to access it more readily. We also may do more skilled repair, bring building supplies, or do finishing work like painting. These same repairs may happen at a church so that it could quickly become a supply distribution point. There are a variety of factors that determine what we do at a house or church, but it is always with the intent to free the pastor from that concern and allow them to get back to helping people in crisis or provide a place to relieve the local community.
We find churches with needs that we can fill through our connections in churches. We have been ministering to pastors since 2009 and have a strong base of like-minded people who connect us and volunteer to help. We also encourage churches to partner with other congregations in disaster zones.
To date, we have served pastors in: the following areas:
Houston, TX – flood, Hurricane Harvey 2017
Vidor, TX- flood, Hurricane Harvey 2017 and 2019
Greensboro, NC – tornado, 2018
Wilmington, NC – Hurricane Florence, 2018
Paducah, KY – tornado, 2021
Dawson Springs, KY- tornado, 2022
Leland, NC – Hurricane Florence 2018
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Clemson, SC – tornado, 2020
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Saint Charles, LA – flood, Hurricane Laura 2020
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Ft. Myers, Fl – Hurricane Ian 2022
“If your team had not driven the 13 hours and worked tirelessly, we would have totally lost our church building. Not having the funds to rebuild, we would have had to disband. So you essentially saved a church.”
“Energize Ministry Team-You did for us what we could not do for ourselves.”
“When hurricane Ian struck our church building was dealt a terrible blow… Clearing the debris was beyond the capabilities of our congregation… If your team had not worked tirelessly, we would have lost our church.”
Volunteer
Join us for one of our 1,3 or 5-day volunteer trips to provide aid to churches and pastors, all transportation, meals and lodging provided.
Adopt a church
Let us connect your church with a church in need, adopt them by providing physical labor, financial aid and/or relational support.