GREENSBORO, N.C. — As communities across western North Carolina continue to recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, N.C. Baptists heard about the ongoing relief efforts and prayed for those still recuperating from the storm’s destruction during the 2024 Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s annual meeting. 

Attendees who gathered for the meeting Nov. 4-5 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center had several opportunities to learn about the ways in which N.C. Baptist churches have contributed to disaster relief efforts in western North Carolina. 

Live panel 

Even before the annual meeting officially kicked off, officials with the state convention and N.C. Baptists on Mission held a live panel discussion in the exhibit hall. Seth Brown, N.C. Baptist director of convention relations, spoke with Richard Brunson, Baptists on Mission’s executive director-treasurer, and Tom Beam, Baptists on Mission’s disaster response coordinator, on how they’ve seen churches respond to the crisis and the ongoing need in western North Carolina. 

“This is the disaster that’s been the biggest, and it’s been the one that we’ve had the most support for from our churches, by far,” Brunson said. “It’s just been amazing how North Carolina Baptists have been on mission together, and they care about people who are hurting.”

Beam shared how volunteers from the western part of the state have come together to help with relief efforts even though many have lost their homes. 

“Those volunteers, they just want to serve, and they’ll serve no matter what,” Beam said. “And that’s really the kind of spirit that you saw for people all over western North Carolina.” 

Brunson detailed the stages of the response over time, which moves from relief to recovery to rebuilds. Though the relief stage is mostly over, there’s still overlap among the stages in some places as many North Carolinians continue to go without power. Because of this, Baptists on Mission is still operating one mass feeding site and nine recovery sites. 

As the response moves to the rebuild stage, Baptists on Mission volunteers are performing essential rapid repairs (ERR) to get as many people back into a functioning, but not yet fully finished, home before the worst of winter hits. Brunson said that the entire rebuild stage could be four to six years long, and the need for volunteers will be ongoing.  

“We need churches investing in being Jesus’ hands and feet to hurting people in western North Carolina,” Brunson said.

Coats for western NC 

Each year, N.C. Baptists partner with the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association to collect and distribute coats in New York City as part of an outreach event called “Coats for the City.” This year, officials added western North Carolina to the distribution list following the effects of Hurricane Helene. 

“Coats [for the City] started as seeing the need in the community in New York City, but this is a way to see the need in our own backyard,” said Janet Packard, executive assistant with N.C. Baptists’ Mission Catalysts group and has worked with the outreach for several years. 

Throughout the annual meeting, messengers and visitors had the opportunity to drop off their new or gently used coats outside of the exhibit hall. Packard said that this year the number of donations is one of the highest they’ve ever received. 

Packard said that several pastors from western North Carolina stopped by the collection booth and said seeing the collection taking place at the annual meeting was an encouragement to them. 

“We’re here to provide some relief, hopefully let pastors rest a little while they’re here and fill in this gap,” Packard said.

More information about Coats for the City is available at ncbaptist.org/coats.

Baptist on Mission report and time of prayer  

During the final session of the annual meeting, Brunson took the stage to deliver Baptists on Mission’s report and shared with messengers the current and future relief efforts in western North Carolina. 

Brunson began by thanking N.C. Baptists for all they’ve done to support the response, which includes donating generators, running mobile kitchens, removing trees from homes and mudding out homes. According to Brunson these are just a few of the many ways N.C. Baptists are being used to share the good news with people in need. 

“Jesus is alive. He’s still working,” Brunson said. “And He’s not only rebuilding broken homes, but broken lives.” 

Brunson and N.C. Baptist Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker concluded the annual meeting by recognizing those impacted by Hurricane Helene, inviting them to stand. Unzicker invited messengers to surround those affected by the storm, lay hands on them and pray for strength as they continue to serve their communities and recover themselves. 

“As N.C. Baptists come around other N.C. Baptists right now in this room, we pray that You would use our movement of churches to be on mission together to rebuild North Carolina,” Unzicker said during his concluding prayer. 

(EDITOR’S NOTE — To volunteer, make a donation or learn more about N.C. Baptists on Mission’s response to Hurricane Helene, visit baptistsonmission.org/hurricane-helene.)