The weather is odd these days. Here in western Iowa, farmers are suffering through a drought that is threatening our corn crops. In Eastern Kentucky, something completely different is happening. I spoke at length over the weekend to an old pal of SBC Voices, the Reverend Dr. C.B. Scott, who less than two weeks ago returned to his previous church, McDowell First Baptist Church, as pastor, after leaving a few years ago first o be Director of Missions and recently the Vice President of a Kentucky Baptist boarding school. He told me about the devastation brought by storms during the middle of the week last week in the Appalachian region he serves. It is hard to imagine what has happened.
According to an expert he spoke to (and these numbers are constantly rising), there were 25 confirmed fatalities, another 30 people are missing, and there are fears, because of the area's rural nature, that the death count could go much higher. Homes have been destroyed, infrastructure is wiped out - it is apocalyptic. This is a poverty-stricken region, some of the worst in the nation. They simply do not have the resources to deal with the tragedy and the rebuilding process.
In 2011, CB was a pastor in Western Birmingham when the tornadoes came through there and wreaked havoc on that city. He and his church set themselves up as a disaster relief center, housing volunteers and feeding victims for an entire year. We helped them out financially (the online community) and they spent EVERY PENNY we sent them on the needs of people in the devastated areas. The church paid for all the overhead so that every cent could we forwarded to them could be used to feed people, help people, and rebuild the region.
God is wise. The church in McDowell has been asking him to return as pastor for a while and he finally relented, agreeing to return. They had no idea what was coming. CB moved in a couple of weeks ago and then the floods came. The church, miraculously, was unharmed, though everything around it was severely damaged. God is good. Yesterday, they had a town hall meeting and agreed that they would do what his church in Birmingham did. They are going to make themselves a flood relief center for the duration of the rebuilding effort.
What CB and the people of McDowell, FBC will do:
- They will seek to feed people who were affected by the storm.
- They will serve as a center for volunteers who come (Baptist Disaster Relief and other groups) who aid in the clean-up, feeding, and rebuilding process.
- They will help people, as they can, to rebuild and reestablish their lives.
- They will minister to the spiritual and emotional needs of these broken people.
What YOU can do:
This kind of ministry takes money. You can help. We come on here and we argue theology and ministry. Here's an opportunity to do something real. 
- You can give financial support to McDowell FBC (mark it to Flood Relief). Their address is: PO Box 241, McDowell KY 41647
- Be assured that whatever you give will go to help needy people in this stricken and impoverished region. Not one penny will pay for overhead at the church. They've made that commitment. At Birmingham, CB made the same commitment and used every penny as committed.
- There is a CPA who will oversee this ministry so that every penny that comes in will be handled carefully.
- If you've interacted with CB Scott, you know he loves to argue and discuss, but you also know he has the highest level of integrity in the SBC. This money will be used to help hurting people and to spread the gospel.
Will you help? Can your church help? McDowell FBC is in this for the long haul. I hope and pray we will stand beside them and help this region get back on its feet.
We will try to provide updates.
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