Baptist Press
By David Dawson/Baptist and Reflector, posted October 10, 2024 in Disaster Relief
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — Enon Baptist Church weathered the storm, even though its building did not.
Less than one week after Hurricane Helene ravaged Enon’s facilities, church members gathered for their Wednesday night activities as normal, albeit in a different location. They met at a nearby Methodist church, whose pastor had graciously invited the Enon members to hold their services.
Enon pastor Keith Malone said he felt it was vital for his church to continue moving forward in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
“I told our members that I didn’t want there to be any lag,” Malone said. “I told them right away – we are going to meet somewhere. And then things all worked out with the Methodist church.”
That is not to say, however, that the Enon members aren’t dealing with great sadness after their building was deluged with 9 feet of water in the sanctuary.
“We’re looking at a total loss, there’s no doubt about that,” Malone said. “And I would ask that everyone please keep us in their prayers. … We’ve got some big decisions to make here in the very close future in terms of what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.”
Although several families in the congregation were left without homes, no lives were lost. “All my church members survived and no immediate family members were lost – so that was the biggest blessing of all,” Malone said.
