Illinois | Will Ferguson had been out of town for a meeting. When he returned, Ferguson described: “Driving through Canton, I just saw Disaster Relief trucks everywhere.”
Canton, where he pastors Temple Baptist Church, had received 10.5 inches of rain in 72 hours, flooding basements and yards. After the flood waters had receded, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers were in town ministering.
It’s been a busy summer for IBDR volunteers. So far this year, a record-breaking 207 tornadoes have been recorded in Illinois, and teams have responded to 10 official callouts over the past few months. So many volunteers have been needed, that teams have been called in to serve from out-of-state.
In August, chainsaw teams responded to Pesotum and Sadorus, south of Champaign. Then flood recovery teams were called to Canton and nearby Cuba, southwest of Peoria. Just before the month ended, a feeding team jumped into action to serve volunteers already on the ground in Chicagoland.
A group of 13 chainsaw volunteers worked to clear trees in Pesotum and Sadorus.
Mike Young took the helm as IBDR state director at the beginning of August, succeeding Glen Carty, who served as interim state director for 13 months and continues to serve as an assistant state director. Carty was the White Hat who led the callout of 45 volunteers hosted by Temple Baptist.
“We’re really thankful for Pastor Will Ferguson,” Young said. “He and Temple Baptist Church are great partners.”
Thirty inches of water flooded this Canton, IL, basement. After the floodwaters receded, IBDR flood recovery volunteers removed the contents and flooring, tore out four feet of drywall and insulation, and treated the exposed areas with a solution to help prevent mold damage. A member of Temple Baptist Church is seen working in this photo.
The volunteers came from around the state, but mainly southern Illinois, and ranged in age from 13 to 84. “It’s a great reminder how we are stronger together,” Young said.
Ferguson shared the story of a young father whose home sustained thousands of dollars in flood damage. Standing in the parking lot of Temple Baptist Church in Canton, the man told IBDR volunteers and Ferguson, “I’ve driven past this building thousands of times before, and it was always a building. But today it’s so much more.”
This was Young’s first time working in the field with volunteers. “While our teams are working together, there is great unity and synergy,” he said. “There is great opportunity for people to serve both locally and nationally in Disaster Relief ministries.”
Sharing Christ is goal
Four people made salvation decisions during the two callouts — three in the Canton area and one in Pesotum. That’s the real reason Disaster Relief volunteers respond to the call.
“Getting people’s lives put back together isn’t the overall goal,” Young said. “Sharing Christ with people is.”
“Every Disaster Relief callout is a mission trip, whether it’s a one-day callout or a one-week callout,” Young added.
IBDR volunteers sleep on cots they bring with them to callouts. Temple Baptist Church in Canton, IL hosted 45 volunteers in its church building.
Speaking with the local Salvation Army official in charge of disaster relief services, Ferguson said she told him, “Thank God for the Southern Baptists.”
Ferguson said the difference before and after IBDR volunteers arrived was “night and day.” He added, “When you tell people Jesus loves them now, it really hits them.”
Ferguson said Disaster Relief opened doors for ministry. “Before, without Disaster Relief’s help, people would not let me go [visit them],” he said. “People will let me go visit them now. Deacons want to visit them. Doors have been opening.”
Ferguson is excited to “have our church be known as a church that can be a blessing to people.”
“Glen would have them share their testimonies, and they would emphasize how we’re just one big family,” Ferguson said. “He’s right. I’m just impressed with that. Everybody is one big family and supports and prays for each other.”
Connie Pierce, front left, a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church, poses with members of Texans on Mission. The Disaster Relief ministry removed trees brought down by storms on her property.
Many more volunteers needed
Although it has been a busy summer for IBDR volunteers, it could have been busier if more Illinois Baptist were trained in Disaster Relief ministry. Requests for help following the tornadoes that struck Chicagoland in early August exceeded the number of IBDR volunteers available.
Adron Robinson, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills, contacted IBDR after severe weather struck the Chicago area Aug. 11. Will County Disaster Relief officials also reached out to IBDR. After assessing the area, Young and Carty found more needs than Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers could meet. Texans on Mission, formerly Texas Baptist Men, arrived Aug. 20 with a larger Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer force and began working alongside other disaster relief agencies on more than 600 work requests. Most importantly, seven salvation decisions have been recorded.
IBDR was able to remove a tree that fell on a former parsonage that is now used as a teaching space by Transformation Church in Chicago Heights.
Texans on Mission brought assessors, chaplains and electrical support, along with shower/laundry, feeding and chainsaw teams. The volunteers are serving in Cook and Will counties and have completed some jobs in Indiana. Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team volunteers relieved Texas feeding team volunteers who had to return home at the end of August.
Texans on Mission cut down damaged trees at the home of Connie Pierce, a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church. Photos courtesy Pastor Adron Robinson
Robinson said church members needed help removing fallen trees from their yards and homes. “Some houses had large trees on them. … Some of the jobs took two days, some took three days,” he said. “They prayed with all the families.”
One family was particularly thankful for the volunteers because the husband is battling cancer and could not remove the downed trees himself.
After watching Disaster Relief ministries at work, Robinson said one of his church members, who has faithfully tithed for years, expressed “thankfulness for our partnership with the Cooperative Program. He hadn’t understood that before. Now he sees how wonderfully it works.”
“We are definitely grateful for Texans on Mission and for all they have done,” Robinson said.
The Texas feeding team needed to return home and was replaced by IBDR feeding team volunteers Monday, Aug. 31. The Illinois volunteers will serve through Sept. 10.
Texans on Mission clear tree damage at the home of Steve and Bernice Coffey, members of Hillcrest Baptist Church. Photos courtesy Pastor Adron Robinson
“We have a lot of great things, but Disaster Relief is one of the top ones that we have going on,” Ferguson said. “It has the potential to really stir our people up in a way that we have never seen before. The spiritual maturity of the people on the teams really renews and revitalizes our people’s faith, too.”
Ferguson would like to grow Disaster Relief ministry within his church and the Metro Peoria Association. “For people to come up here, it’s a lot. We want to train more people and maybe even be able to send people on a callout. Maybe our church could even have its own Disaster Relief team.”
There are more than 700 trained Disaster Relief volunteers in Illinois, but only 412 have active badges. To become a trained volunteer or renew your badge, visit IBSA.org/dr. The next IBDR training event is planned for Sept. 25-26 at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp. Learn more at IBSA.org. Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief is part of the Southern Baptist Conventions Disaster Relief ministry, the third largest relief agency in the United States.