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Scotts Creek members help rebuild in Katrina’s wake
Twenty-six members of Scotts Creek Baptist Church and several local community members recently completed a mission trip to the Gulf Coast.
The trip was part of N.C. Baptist Men’s work to help rebuild the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Several members of Scotts Creek Baptist Church recently completed a mission trip to the Gulf Coast, where they worked to restore buildings damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Team members including Jim Cochran, left, and Ray Knight helped raise the walls of a new home for a couple left homeless by the storm. The group also helped restore a local Christian mission.
Under the on-site direction of Western Builders co-owner Don Hensley, the mission team raised the walls of a new home for John and Althea Penton in one week. The Pentons’ mobile home was destroyed by Katrina’s winds.
The Scotts Creek group teamed with Rolling Hills Baptist Church of Carriere, Miss., and a group from the Pearl River Baptist Association.
Members of Scotts Creek Baptist Church load a truck with donations the congregation collected to help Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to helping individual families, the church helped rebuild and stock a community-based Christian ministry. Packin the truck are, from left, Clint King (in truck) and Debbie Hage, Lorene Greene and Phil Cauley.
In addition to their work on the Pentons’ new home, team members also worked to restore Community Christian Concern in Slidell, La. This local Christian ministry was heavily damaged by floodwaters during the storm.
The idea for the work at the CCC came from team member Gail Hensley, who had a chance meeting at an Atlanta mall with Mike and Billie Carpenter, who serve on the board of the CCC.
Though she wasn’t sure how, Hensley said she knew immediately that she wanted to help.
“My heart was really touched,” she said.
A majority of the CCC’s work is done through its thrift shop, Janet’s Korner. Hensley and a handful of friends issued a request for donated items at Scotts Creek Baptist Church.
The results were overwhelming, said Renee Peoples, wife of Scotts Creek Pastor Rich Peoples.
“Nothing in our church is done in a small way,” Renee Peoples said.
Team members loaded the donations onto a truck that they drove down to the store. There they sorted the donations and stocked the thrift store’s shelves. They also made repairs that will allow the CCC to re-open six months ahead of schedule.
“The completion of this mission project is not the end, it is only the beginning,” Rich Peoples said. “Over the next two years we expect to work with Baptist Men to help restore more than 600 storm-damaged homes in Gulfport, Miss. The needs of the Gulf Coast are so great, but with God’s help we can make a difference.”
While helping to restore so many homes may sound like an ambitious goal, it might not be out of reach for such a motivated group.
“I cannot believe how much work the team from Scotts Creek Baptist Church was able to accomplish. In a matter of days, we went from a bare slab to the completed shell of the house, said the Rev. Joey Tatum, pastor of Rolling Hills Baptist Church. “The Pentons are looking forward to soon being able to occupy their new home.”
Carl Myers, director of Pearl River Baptist Association, said he was also impressed with how much the members of the Scotts Creek group got done in the short time they were in the area.
“When churches come together and work together, God can make things happen.” Myers said.
Scotts Creek Baptist Church members who made the the trip included Mike Clayton, Jim Cochran, Mark Edwards, Bert Gutierrez, Carolyn Gutierrez, Jim Hage, Debbie Hage, Tim Hawkins, Keith Henry, Don Hensley, Gail Hensley, Cathie Hooper, Burrus Jones, Mark Jones, Nancy Jones, Clint King, Darryn Knight, Ray Knight, Eric Lambert, Tom McClure, Rich Peoples, Renee Peoples, Debbie Ray, Homer Royals, Marilyn Royals and Brenda Sellers.
In addition, community members Richard Boyd, Greg Massingale, Red Nicholson and Ernie Sherman also participated.
For more information on church members’ plans for another trip, call the church office at 586-2631.
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