Baptist Press
By Scott Barkley, posted October 18, 2024 in Disaster Relief
BARNARDSVILLE, N.C. (BP) — Curtis showed up about two weeks ago and has been invaluable for helping Barnardsville Baptist Church after flood damage to its building. It’s what he hasn’t done, however, that may signal a key to the long-term response to Helene’s damage in the area.
Barnardsville is an unincorporated community in the mountains – about a 20-minute drive from Asheville. There is one restaurant and no hotels. Weaverville is the nearest town and has a few more options of both, but not many.
Curtis brought refurbished chainsaws that have helped clear the debris piled up after Ivy Creek exceeded its banks by several feet. He has also fixed numerous small engines for those nearby while helping Barnardsville Baptist begin its cleanup process, including tearing out and replacing sheetrock.
At the end of the day, he sleeps in the box truck he drove from Texas. Church members help provide food, but he is largely self-sufficient.
That has been the case with others who have helped the church in recent weeks. Some camped prior to the chilly temperatures that recently arrived. Some have slept in the church parsonage.
It’s a setting Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams and church groups should expect, said Kenton Hunt, DR director for the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey. More Here