DR Volunteers Serve Tornado Victims

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Roscoe England of Sevier Heights Baptist Church, Knoxville, cuts a damaged tree in the Sweetwater/Tellico Plains area.

from the Baptist & Reflector:

SWEETWATER — As Kenny Witt, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer of Madisonville, drove down a rural road near Sweetwater by homes and property, he saw more trees damaged by the tornado and storms which struck Monroe County July 14. He stopped at a house which had downed trees but didn’t find anyone home. Witt went further down the road to the next house and found the owner of the previous house was there staying with her mother-in-law because she was expecting a baby soon.

The lady quickly accepted the help Witt offered, signing the required forms.

The next day Lou Mulsand of Knoxville and a team of DR volunteers from Sevier Heights Baptist Church, Knoxville, arrived at the lady’s house. Mulsand and Tom Freels of Sevier Heights went to introduce themselves and learned more of her story.

She was scheduled to have a baby the next day but couldn’t ride in her car to the hospital because a tree — “a four footer,” according to Mulsand, — blocked the driveway.

Freels told Mulsand and Witt that they had to get that driveway opened up that day so she could get to the hospital tomorrow.

A team of about eight volunteers did just that, the men reported.

The volunteers working two days later learned that the lady had delivered a son and both were well.

“The timing just worked out perfectly on that,” said Witt.

Mulsand noted, “It’s not a coincidence that we go to certain homes.”

About 26 Baptist DR workers have served beginning July 16 in the Sweetwater and Tellico Plains area where they found and completed about 50 jobs. The work is still continuing.

The storm did damage in an area about 20 miles long, stretching from the west side of Tellico Plains to the east side of Sweetwater.

Mulsand, director of disaster relief for Knox County Baptist Association, whose crews worked in the area seven days as of Aug. 5 and planned to return with a team on Aug. 8, said they also saw a man rededicate his life to Christ and a lot of older ladies helped. Many of the ladies would say upon meeting the DR workers that God had answered their prayers, he added.

Witt said besides helping the expectant lady another incident stood out to him. He was visiting with a homeowner they were helping. The man looked at all the damage on his property and said, “Kenny, you think you’ve seen the power of God when you look at all of this, but you really see the power of God when you see neighbors helping neighbors.”

Finally, Witt said they helped a family whose home was basically destroyed by trees falling on it so they had moved in with their son. In the area three or four homes were destroyed by the storm. The DR workers removed a tree to allow them to access items from their house.

Two groups of DR volunteers stayed and worked for five days — from Woodland Baptist Church, Brownsville, and Holston Baptist Association, based in Johnson City. They were housed by Fairview Baptist Church, Sweetwater. Tony Rutherford, director of missions, Sweetwater Baptist Association, helped make these arrangements as well as delivering lunch and water provided by the association and individuals to volunteers.

DR workers also served from Sweetwater Association; Hamilton County Baptist Association, based in Chattanooga; Knox County Association; and Nolachucky Baptist Association, based in Morristown.

Mulsand said he was amazed at the work ethic of the volunteers who worked all day, only stopping to move to another job, and despite heat and humidity that “was just brutal.”

God also provided people who were very skilled on the equipment, said Mulsand. For instance, Arlin Phillips of First Baptist Church, Tellico Plains, was very good because he was in the logging business nearly all of his life.

No federal government aid is available to residents because the tornado was not ruled to be bad enough, reported Rutherford.

All of the damage on private property is up to the homeowners to repair and the work is very expensive, said Rutherford.

“We’re just really grateful and our community is just really grateful for all the work that has been done. The people here needed help,” he stated.

TBC Names New Disaster Relief Leader

Wes Jones

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.— The Executive Board Ministry Staff of the Tennessee Baptist Convention has named a long-time disaster relief and ministry veteran to lead its state disaster relief effort. The appointment culminates a nearly one-year national search process.

Wesley A. Jones, a former state disaster relief leader in Iowa and former International Mission Board missionary in Guatemala, was chosen to fill the role of Disaster Relief Specialist. The announcement of Jones’ hiring comes after disaster relief veteran, David Acres, retired last September. Jones is scheduled to be in his role with the TBC Sept. 1, 2015. Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has been led by interim leader and retired TBC employee, Mike Overcash, since Acre’s retirement.

“We are very excited to have Wes joining our team and serving Tennessee Baptists in this role,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director/treasurer of the Executive Board ministries. “He brings a great deal of experience to the position. Our Tennessee Baptist disaster relief volunteers are a dedicated group of individuals who love to both serve and share the gospel. We wanted to find someone who shared that same passion, and we believe Wes does.”

Jones is a native of Virginia and graduated from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. He also received his Master’s of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan. He has served as a pastor and he, and wife, Pam, served overseas as church planters with the IMB in Costa Rica, Belize and Guatemala. Since 2002, Jones has been a Director of Missions and most recently held the position of Missional Church Planting Catalyst. He became heavily involved in disaster relief while in Iowa, earning certifications in National Incident Command Training (White Hat), S.P.H.E.R.E. (trained through Baptist Global Response), Chaplain Training, National Incident Management System Training (100, 200, 700, 800 A/B), Unit Supervisor Training (Blue Hat), SBDR Disaster Assessment Training, Introduction to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (Yellow Hat), Chainsaw Training and Chainsaw Safety Training.

Since 2013, Jones has been a member of the National Disaster Relief Steering Committee of the North American Mission Board and also a member of NAMB’s National Incident Command Team since 2006.

“It is an honor to be selected to serve as the Disaster Relief Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention,” Jones said. “Nobody ever wants to see a disaster hit, but it is good to know that when they do, Southern Baptists are there to respond. I am excited to see what God will continue to do through the continued work of Tennessee Disaster Relief volunteers.”

 

TBC DR Teams Respond to Ice Storm

BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams are responding to damage caused last week by ice storms across the state.

Most of the response work took place in East Tennessee and has occurred at the local level, said Mike Overcash, interim Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief director.

Teams from First Baptist Church, Concord, in Knoxville; Knox County Baptist Association; Nolachucky Baptist Association; Jefferson County Baptist Association; and Big Emory Baptist Association have taken the lead in helping to clear downed trees caused by ice and snow storms, Overcash said.

“The teams in East Tennessee have been working hard,” he added.

The weekend ice storm also created major ice issues in many Middle Tennessee counties.

Overcash said that a team from Hermitage Hills Baptist Church, Hermitage, was scheduled to serve in Putnam County on Feb. 23. Teams from Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, and First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, were set to serve in White County while a combined team from Nolachucky Association and Knox County Association were heading to the Crossville area, he added.

Teams sent out on Monday will work through the end of the week, Overcash said.

Amid reports of outside companies charging for clean up services, Overcash reminded Tennesseans that many volunteer agencies across the state, including Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief, provide such services at no cost.

“We do it because we are trying to share Christ,” Overcash said.

“As we provide services we are not only interested in clearing trees. We also want to get involved in people’s lives as much as they will allow us.”

To report damage or to request volunteers, contact Overcash at (615) 714-9320 or Elizabeth Holmes at (615) 371-7926.

TBC DR Teams Meet Needs in East Tennessee

BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist disaster relief teams are responding to damage caused this week by ice storms across the state.

Most of the response work has taken place in East Tennessee and has occurred at the local level, said Mike Overcash, interim Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief director.

Teams from First Baptist Church, Concord, in Knoxville, Knox County Baptist Association, Nolachucky Baptist Association, Jefferson County Baptist Association, and Big Emory Baptist Association have taken the lead in helping to clear downed trees caused by ice and snow storms, Overcash said.

“The teams in East Tennessee have been working hard,” he added.
As of Feb. 19, Overcash was not aware of teams needed in Middle or West Tennessee, but that could change with another storm system expected over the weekend, he said.

To report damage or a need for volunteers, contact Overcash at (615) 714-9320 or Elizabeth Holmes at (615) 371-7926.