By Randy C. Davis
President and executive director, TBMB
Randy Davis
There are similarities between the broken walls of Jerusalem and the broken communities scattered for miles along the eastern edge of our great state.
Recall the state of Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah. Gates and walls that once proudly stood around Jerusalem were broken and reduced to rubble, covered with moss and debris. The dilapidated condition of the city became the norm for a complacent people.
Fortunately, God laid a burden on Nehemiah’s heart to restore the city and see a great spiritual revival. He embarked on a journey covered in God’s anointing and supplied by God’s provision. He cast the vision, and the people said, “Let us arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:18).
Tennessee Baptists, I believe we stand at a moment in time where we see the crumbled lives of people who inhabit an entire region of our state.
For weeks, we have seen videos and pictures through social media and news outlets documenting the tremendous destruction caused by Hurricane Helene flooding.
As incredible as those images have been, they don’t do justice to the intense magnitude of the destruction one experiences standing on-site looking in every direction.
Bill Keen, of Chilhowee Hills Baptist Church, Knoxville, and Larry Russell, Lyons Creek Baptist Church, Strawberry Plains, serve as part of the Knox County Association of Baptists disaster relief teams in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Lives were lost, people are still missing, hundreds of homes destroyed — many of those blasted off foundations by raging water then shattered against trees or bridges downstream. At least eight Tennessee Baptist churches were severely damaged, and it will take years for highways, roads, bridges, and utilities to be completely restored.
Like Nehemiah looking on heartbroken at the site of Jerusalem in tatters, it’s impossible to stand in the aftermath of Helene and not be heartbroken looking at the remains of people’s lives and communities.
But God, working through His people, can bring help, hope, and restoration to the people of far East Tennessee.
It is already happening and began before floodwaters of the Nolichucky, Pigeon, and French Broad Rivers subsided. Tennessee Baptists began generously donating money while Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) teams rallied to action. From the depths of my heart and with all sincerity, thank you.
I have seen you time and time again generously contribute financially to alleviate the suffering of our family, friends, and neighbors here in Tennessee, across our nation, and around the world.
And it is because of that generosity that a fair amount of “wall building” has been done. Your TBDR teams have completed more than 150 jobs already, served more than 35,000 meals, provided well beyond 2,000 showers for people still without water, and are approaching 1,000 loads of laundry done
These numbers don’t even include the countless local Baptist churches that immediately responded and are still responding to the varied needs in their communities.
It’s God’s people extending God’s grace and mercy to thousands left destitute. Not only is the burden of physical suffering being lifted, but we are getting reports of people coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, others who have expressed their indifference to God in the past returning to our DR volunteers to understand more about Jesus, and others who have strayed from God coming back to Him, prompted by the encouragement of those extending help.
But our challenge now is to rise to the example set by Nehemiah and those building the wall. Will we persevere in the work until the work is finished?
Now and for the next several years, this is an all-hands-on-deck, Mississippi River to Mountain City, Tennessee Baptists working collaboratively and cooperatively with others kind of effort. If we are faithful to this work, I believe we’ll see miracle after miracle happen as meetinghouses are restored, houses are rebuilt, families are given hope, and the gospel advances.
Last Friday, Oct. 18, members of your Tennessee Baptist Mission Board met at First Baptist Church, Greeneville, with pastors, ministry leaders, and others to launch Operation Arise and Build. There is a concerted desire to see our restoration come to the Appalachian Region of Tennessee.
This is a God moment. Just like reaching with the gospel the exploding population due to the growth of Ford’s Blue Oval City in West Tennessee, we have an unprecedented opportunity in East Tennessee to make known the hope and healing found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not a sprint or a marathon. It is an ultra-marathon. There have been thousands of people across our state praying for revival. Revival comes to God’s people when God’s people turn to God in humility, prayer, worship, and obedience … then go into the world serving others with gospel-saturated compassion.
God has laid the opportunities before us. Let us arise and build.
It is a joy to be with you on this journey.
