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General Overseer Gives Update on Hurricane Harvey

CLEVELAND, TN: With up to 30 percent of Houston, Texas, America’s fourth largest city, under water after receiving more than 50 inches of rain from Hurricane Harvey, the Church of God family around the world has extended its prayers and support to help in the recovery efforts in South Texas. Further, with the storm now making another hit on Southwest Louisiana, our prayers and efforts also include that area. In speaking about this massive storm, Dr. Timothy M. Hill, General Overseer of the Church of God, offered these comments:

“I am overwhelmed by the devastation that my home state of Texas has endured over the past few days. Millions of people in and around Houston have been impacted and displaced by this massive storm that has dropped unprecedented amounts of rain on the area. Our hearts and prayers go out to those that have lost their lives, as well as those who now must rebuild their lives due to the massive
destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey. But as always, I stand amazed at how the family of the Church of God has come together to support the people in Texas and to offer assistance. The outpouring of money, supplies, and labor has been phenomenal over the past few days and I am expecting those efforts to continue in the days, weeks, and months to come. While the saying “We’re Texas Strong” has been challenged in the past few days, the good people in South Texas and Southwest Louisiana are learning a new saying – “We’reChurch of God Strong” – as we provide assistance, support, and prayers for them.”

When this storm headed towards the Texas coast last week, Church of God disaster relief efforts were mobilized so as to provide assistance immediately once the authorities allowed them in to the impacted areas in the storm’s aftermath. General Overseer Hill and the other members of the Church of God Executive Committee have been coordinating the church’s response, identifying areas that need assistance, and raising money to fund the massive relief efforts. While many areas have not yet been opened for relief efforts, Church of God teams working through Operation Compassion, Men and Women of Action, God’s Pit Crew, Chaplain’s Commission, and others within Church of God Care Ministries are on the ground in Texas and are ready to offer assistance.

While thousands of Church of God families have been impacted by this epic storm, Administrative Bishop Tim Brown (Texas Church of God) and Administrative Bishop Fidencio Burgueno (South Central Hispanic Church of God) have documented at least some issues or damage at the following nineteen (19) churches:

• Baytown – Living Hope – Pastor Kevin Kleinhenz
• Conroe – Pastor Dereck White
• Corpus Christi – Pastor Jack Carrier
• Crosby – Harvest Time – Pastor David Faircloth
• Houston – Deer Park – Pastor Bill Ratchford, Jr.
• Houston – El Refugio – Pastor Jesus Corona
• Houston – Full Gospel – Pastor Mathew Philip
• Houston – International – Pastor Johnny House
• Houston – Renacer – Pastor Gonzalo Afanador
• Houston – West Little York – Pastor Emory Thompson
• Humble – Pastor Lucas Aguilar
• Katy – Pastor Eloy Gomez
• Lake Livingston – Pastor Donald Dyson
• Port Arthur – Twin Cities – Pastor Lewis Morris
• Richwood – Pastor W.G. Ainsworth
• Thicket – Pastor Mark Ainsworth
• Victoria – Northgate – Pastor Chad Kirk
• Vidor – The Dwelling Place – Pastor Jamie Karales
• Webster – Praise Chapel – Pastor Roy Love

There is no doubt that the relief efforts will take months, if not years, to complete. To individually assist in these efforts, or send a team to assist, you should contact Men and Women of Action. MWOA Director Phil Thompson will be happy to coordinate your efforts to assist in Houston, Southwest Louisiana, or wherever else “boots on the ground” are needed. MWOA can be reached at www.cogmwoa.org or by phone at (423) 478-7955.

To financially support the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, you can give online at www.cogwm.org/txhurricane to Church of God World Mission Project No. 765-0036-052. To learn more, you can also visit World Missions online at www.cogwm.org.

“Within the next few days, I am going home to Texas to see the devastation myself and to see what else we as the family of the Church of God can do to support those along the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana. In the meantime, I hope that you will join me in prayer for all those impacted by this storm. In the midst of the storm, God is our peace and refuge – and I pray that those along the Gulf Coast will feel that protection and covering now even more than ever,” concluded General Overseer Hill.