Wilkey
As always, God’s timing is impeccable. It is never too early or too late.
This morning (Oct. 3), I was glancing through The Link, the e-newsletter produced by Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union, and it included an announcement that Oct. 20 is the Day of Prayer for Baptist Associations.
The announcement noted that the day of prayer for associations “helps to underscore the importance of sister churches working together to reach the local community as we pray for the association, its leaders and its ministries.”
What makes the timing of this particular day of prayer so important is two-fold. Most Baptist associations, if they have not already held one, will have their annual meeting this month. Members of the association’s churches will gather together for fellowship, worship and a time to conduct the business of their local association.
The second reason for the incredible timing is that many Baptist associations, especially those in East Tennessee, are ministering to those affected by the high winds and flooding that came last week as a result of Hurricane Helene.
Northeast Tennessee took an incredible hit. The Tennessee Lookout website reported Oct. 2 that “at least eight people are dead, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. Five days after disaster first struck, 46 people reported missing have still not been accounted for.”
The news outlet also reported there are boil advisories for people in 17 water districts, several thousand are still without electricity and “preliminary engineering assessments have concluded that restoring damaged or destroyed roads and bridges will take many months and hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The Lookout also reported that Gov. Bill Lee, with a backdrop of “a mangled and impassible bridge that once spanned the Nolichucky River in Unicoi County,” told reporters, “It’s evident that something historically horrific has happened here.”
In a letter to President Joe Biden, Lee “requested that FEMA expedite a major disaster declaration for Tennessee highlighting immediate public and individual assistance needs in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties,” according to the website article.
Rest assured, those counties already are receiving assistance and a lot of it is coming from Tennessee Baptists thanks to the efforts of local Baptist associations in Tennessee, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Directors of missions, not only in the affected areas but across the state, are rallying churches in their associations to collect items to send to the areas with critical needs.
Tennessee Valley Baptist Association, a small association of churches near Dayton led by director of missions David Haynes, collected six tons of water in about two days early this week and it already has been delivered to Newport and has been distributed to families that needed water. See photo on page 16 of this issue. They are just one of numerous Tennessee associations who are reaching out to storm victims.
God is at work through our Baptist associations and churches of Tennessee. Seeing these associations work together to minister to people who have been affected by this “historically horrific” storm is gratifying because with every bottle of water that is handed out or a tree that is cut off someone’s home, someone is sharing that the reason they are there is because of the love of Jesus Christ. We truly are being the hands and feet of Jesus at a time when hurting people need to see Him up close.
So, in the days leading up to Oct. 20, pray for all of our directors of missions and Baptist associations in our state, but especially recognize them with prayer on Sunday, Oct. 20. They need and deserve our love, support and prayers all the time. B&R — For a list of associations and locations in Tennessee, visit tnbaptist.org/associations.
