Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Hendrik Proctor and others from Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson prepare meals for first responders after the deadly explosion at an ammunitions plant in Bucksnort.
CENTERVILLE — Fairfield Baptist Church has become a base camp for disaster relief volunteers responding to the Accurate Energetic Systems explosion that killed 16 people Oct. 10 in Bucksnort.
Those at the church, located in Centerville, didn’t hesitate to offer housing for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers.
“I admire these volunteers,” said Lynn Hill, transitional pastor at Fairfield. “They do this because they believe it’s what Jesus would have them do.”
The church has housed about eight volunteers since the deadly explosion sent shockwaves throughout the surrounding area.
The explosion began in an area where workers produce a mixture of explosives in production kettles, according to multiple news outlets.
The explosion then set off other explosives stored nearby, authorities said Oct. 24 during a press conference. Authorities have developed several hypotheses about the initial cause of the blast but have not released them yet.
With the area still feeling the impact, disaster relief volunteers have served hot meals on-site to first responders and investigative personnel. JST’s local disaster relief (short for three local associations: Judson, Stewart, and Truett) team have also helped Englewood Baptist Church’s DR team feed first responders at AES explosion site.
Hill understands the sacrifice many volunteers from across the state have made.
“These volunteers sleep on cots, and they don’t have the normal comforts we all usually enjoy throughout the year,” Hill said. “But I admire that they’re willing to do that. It’s a sacrifice on their part, and they don’t get a dime for it.”
Opening the church represents a small gesture, but one that goes a long way.“Not only do we give our money to join with other churches across the country to support Baptist ministries and causes and missionaries, but to me, this brings the Cooperative Program right down to our church level, and we’re getting a chance to live it out,” Hill said.
Russ Wilkins, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s Harvest Field 2 leader, initially reached out to Hill to ask if the church could house the volunteers.
“I appreciate Fairfield Baptist and pastor Lynn Hill for opening their facilities to host a Disaster Relief team after the horrific explosion,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins served as an associational missions strategist for seven years and said they faced natural disasters in four of those years.
“Disaster relief arrived first on site in each one, and Tennessee Baptist churches opened their doors to enable a long-term response,” he recalled.
“When people who’ve lost everything see our churches not only love God but actively demonstrate love for their neighbors, it’s powerful.
“It’s never convenient for a church to give up time, space, and resources, so I’m humbled by their willingness to open their doors for these teams,” Wilkins continued. “Pastor Lynn is exactly right — this is the Cooperative Program in action at the local church level.
“Churches working together to meet needs and share Christ’s love when it’s needed most. That’s what we’re all about.” B&R — Those who are available to serve should contact Wes Jones (wjones@tnbaptist.org), Garry Maddox (gmaddox@tnbaptist.org) or Elizabeth Holmes (eholmes@tnbaptist.org). Donations to Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief can be made online at tndisasterrelief.org/contributions.
