“Kerrville is small enough where almost everyone in the church knows someone who was killed or remains missing. Everybody knows somebody whose life has been turned upside down by this….We know difficult days lie ahead. Please pray for our church as we seek to bring comfort and hope to a town desperately in need of it.”

The Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in less than 45 minutes on Friday, July 4, resulting in death and devastation across Kerr County, Texas. Nearby residents and property owners were unprepared for the historic rainfall levels. According to the latest reports, at least 100 people have been killed by the floodwaters. The number is expected to rise as dozens remain missing.

Billy Crain pastors Christ Church Presbyterian (PCA) in Kerrville. Crain describes the city of 25,000 people as a popular vacation spot for residents across the state.

According to Crain, “We are known for retirement and recreation. People visit and move to Kerrville because they want to enjoy the hills and river.”

The recreation options are one reason a number of camps have been established over time in the vicinity.

“Probably more than half of our church are people who are not originally from Kerrville. They moved here to retire or work at one of the nearby camps.”

Though no one from Camp Mystic is a part of Christ Church, the summer camp and its staff are well known in the community. Camp Mystic reports that 27 campers and counselors were killed in the flooding.

When asked to describe the experience of the flood, Crain stated, “I went to bed on Thursday night like many, looking forward to the long holiday weekend like everyone else. On Friday, I woke up to disaster.”

According to local officials, the river surged nearly 30 feet between 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 4. When Crain woke up, his phone was filled with text messages from friends and extended family checking on his family. It was then that he began to realize the gravity of the situation.

“I got in touch with our church leaders, and we divided the church directory, contacting every family to check on them,” he said.

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