An aerial view of Riverview Baptist Church in Newport following the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
NEWPORT — Riverview Baptist Church, located on the bank of the Pigeon River in Newport, sustained major damage due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in late September.
The church appears to actually be sitting in the river in an ariel photograph.
The church had extensive damage in the basement as well as in the sanctuary which also sustained water damage but not to the extent of the basement, said Riverview pastor Tim Grooms.
The church will have to replace the carpet and drywall in the sanctuary, along with completely remodeling the basement. In addition, the church will need a new heating and air unit and all the electrical work redone, Grooms said.
While the church does have money in the bank, the pastor is not sure how much the repairs will eventually cost. The church is in the process of getting estimates for the work.
One thing he does know is that the church will have $64,000 that they originally were going to use to hire a nationally known cleanup and restoration company. “The day after I signed the contract, I received a call from Kay Thomas of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief informing me that disaster relief workers could do the job,” he recalled.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, speaks with Tim Grooms, pastor of Riverview Baptist Church, Newport.
Grooms called the company and they graciously agreed to let the church out of the contract, the pastor said. “They had so much work that they were having a hard time finding help.”
A TBDR team came in and completed the cleanup and sprayed, Grooms said. “They were fantastic. I can’t say enough good things about them. They were truly a blessing.”
Grooms estimated there was eight feet of water in the basement. “Everything in the basement was destroyed,” he said.
The basement housed The Bread Basket, a local food ministry supported by area churches. The food ministry, one of the oldest in the community, lost everything as well. They have recently found another building and will reopen soon, the pastor said.
Before the DR team could do the actual mud out the church had to get rid of all the trash and debris that was in the basement. Grooms expressed gratitude for all the volunteers from the community who came in to help clean following the flooding. Pastor John Butler of East Rogersville Baptist Church brought a team down to assist Riverview and others in the community, he noted. Butler formerly lived in Newport.
So many people helped, he said. “It was wonderful seeing so many volunteers out in the community helping us and others. Despite the evil in the world, there are still a lot of good people out there,” he affirmed.
In spite of all the damage to the church, Riverview is blessed, Grooms maintained.
Two houses located beside the church were totally washed away. It’s a wonder that our building did not float down the river. We believe God protected it so we could repair it and remain here,” the pastor said.
“Had the building been washed away, the church could not rebuild on the site and would have had to relocate,” Grooms noted.
Though the building is unusable, the church, which averages between 40 and 45 on Sundays, is holding its regular services in the East Tennessee Baptist Association office building. “We are blessed to have access to the associational building,” he said.
Because there are still bids to get for the work that needs to be done and the demand for construction teams not only in Newport but surrounding areas as well, Grooms is not sure when the church can return to its building.
“Our hope is to be back in the building by Easter,” he said.
Grooms welcomes the continued prayer and support of Tennessee Baptists. “It is the prayers that have gotten us through this,” he affirmed.
Donations are being accepted at tndisasterrelief.org for relief efforts by clicking on “Contributions” and choosing East Tennessee Hurricane/Flooding Fund. B&R
