Fairview Christian Fellowship Church is in one of the hardest-hit areas of Highlands County, North Carolina. With no electricity and spotty cellular reception, Pastor Trevor Allen had no way of letting people know whether there would be a worship service on September 29, but 18 people showed up anyway. They sang and prayed together, celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and listened to a sermon from Matthew 14. Many church members remain trapped by downed trees and washed out roads, and Fairview Christian Fellowship is getting food and water to them.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, North Carolina

(Read Part 1) Steve Mirich is a pastor at  Covenant Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina. His home basement took on four feet of flood water mixed with heating fuel from a punctured heating fuel tank. They have pumped out the contaminated water, but the home is uninhabitable because of the fumes. They are waiting to learn if the house will be salvageable. In the meantime, the Mirich children are staying with friends while Steve and his wife stay in a shed on their property.

Covenant did not sustain damage, and volunteers from the church made contact with everyone in the church to make sure they were accounted for and safe. The church body met Wednesday night to pray, cook and eat all the food from the church’s freezer, collect supplies, and discuss how the congregation can meet needs in the community.

“Now we are beginning to look outside the church and make sure everyone is OK,” Mirich said.

He said that even in the devastation, there have been glimpses of community. He and his neighbors have gathered together every evening at the home of a neighbor with a generator to cook their meals together. He asked that the PCA would pray that Covenant would be a light to the community.

“Praise God for our safety and ask God to help us be a light in those good works he has prepared for us to do,” he said. “God is good, even in the devastation, God is good.”

First Presbyterian Church, Augusta, Georgia

Georgia Power described Hurricane Helene as “the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history.” Augusta, Georgia experienced widespread damage. Mike Hearon, lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, shared that approximately 100 families from their church have significant property damage to their home, and about 25 families in the church suffered the loss of their homes from the storm. The church has provided space for MNA to use as a staging area for their relief efforts in the region.

Other PCA churches have also reached out to help First Pres. Volunteers from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Athens brought a truckload of supplies, including power equipment for cleanup.  Perimeter Church reached out and offered to arrange temporary housing for members who need shelter.

Hazelwood Presbyterian Church, Waynesville, North Carolina

Hazelwood Presbyterian Church in Waynesville, North Carolina sustained some damage, including flooded basements, mud strewn across the parking lot, and some blocked walkways.

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