God’s Pit Crew Makes A Difference
God’s Pit Crew, an independent disaster relief agency with ties to the Church of God, rolled into South Cheatham County, Tenn., last week to help rebuild Shacklett Church of Christ, which was severely damaged by last month’s flooding.
Twenty-eight volunteers from the non-profit crisis response team based in Danville, Va., spent five days restoring the church on Highway 70 in the Shacklett community.Volunteers assisted with the plumbing, electrical work, flooring and painting, among other things.
“Words can’t describe how thankful we are. It’s God’s blessing,” said longtime church member Dean Stovall, who helped construct the original building in 1951. Stovall said the church has truly been blessed since the flooding as donations and supplies have come in from around the nation. Stovall said the church, which averages 70 to 100 on Sundays, is currently meeting at the nearby Highway 70 Community Center until the building is finished.
The initial communication with God’s Pit Crew came from Tennessee State Representative Kevin Brooks who knew of the effectiveness of the organization and contacted a colleague in the House. Since a lot of the preliminary work had been done by volunteers from the church, God’s Pit Crew interrupted their already full schedule to put in a few days to get it to a place where other volunteers could take it from there.
“I knew of the plight of this small congregation and I immediately thought of God’s Pit Crew,” Brooks stated. “It sends a powerful message when a group from another movement steps in to help out, regardless of their affiliation.”
Since 1999, God’s Pit Crew has taken its volunteer efforts throughout the United States.
“We have assisted with 43 major disasters in the last 11 years,” said volunteer David Willis, who added that the organization doesn’t charge for its services. The volunteers, Willis said, have been very appreciative of church members’ hospitality. “They have fed us well. I think we all gained 10 pounds,” he said with a laugh.
