GALVESTON—In the wake of Hurricane Ike, several Texas Baptist churches are stepping up to help First Baptist Church of South Houston through the recovery process. On Nov. 23, the congregation did the same for a church in Galveston.
First Baptist Church of South Houston, which sustained significant damage to its facilities as a result of the hurricane, spent the day preparing and serving a turkey dinner for friends and members of Bible Baptist Church in Galveston, which took in more than 36 inches of water when the storm blew through.
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Members of First Baptist Church of South Houston prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for Bible Baptist Church in Galveston. (PHOTO/John Hall/BGCT)
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Water damaged every room of the Galveston congregation’s facilities and forced the church to remove large portions of drywall. Some members still are living in other parts of Texas.
But for a night, among those who remained in Galveston there was a bit of normalcy around turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and a selection of desserts. Members and people from the community sat together around tables decorated with fall foliage. They shared stories, smiles and laughs. For some, this was the first time they returned to the church.
“We just hope to give a little bit of hope to the people here,” said Sandy Borrego, music minister at First Baptist Church of South Houston.
Manuel Longoria, pastor of First Baptist Church of South Houston, said his congregation wants to help others as they have been helped. Two Texas Baptist churches have contacted Longoria about partnering with his church. Another, Concan Baptist Mission in Concan, sent the church $10,000 to help it rebuild.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas continues to link churches affected by Hurricane Ike like First Baptist Church of South Houston with other Texas Baptist congregations.
First Baptist Church excitedly took on the task of preparing a turkey dinner for the Galveston church, Longoria said. They seized the opportunity of ministering to others in need.
“If the Lord blessed us, he wants us to be a blessing to others,” he said.
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For additional information about partnering with a church that has been affected by Hurricane Ike, call Carolyn Porterfield at (888) 244-9400.
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