News & Stories

Texans on Mission is serving in mountain jungle communities of Ecuador this week with Texas Baptists Go Now Missions.

The sky grew dark with threatening clouds shortly before 6 p.m. May 22, but the eight people gathered for the midweek service at Dyess Grove Baptist Church southeast of Temple decided to go ahead as planned.“All of a sudden those warnings on our phones went off” at about 6:20, said Pastor Steve Goode. “We said let’s cut this short.” They fled the church building. Moments later, a tornado ripped off the wall that formed one side of the church worship space.

The Rolling Timbers (Weatherford) chainsaw team are among several Texans on Mission groups responding to tornado and wind damage in Temple. Some were highly trained and experienced, while others were on their first deployment and still learning advanced techniques.

Baptist Standard reports: Four deacons from Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas recently spent two weeks in Ukraine, helping a Christian ministry there convert shipping containers into housing for displaced people.

D.L and Virginia Baxley were among those who had to deal with the aftermath of damaged trees after a tornado-spawning storm in Temple. D.L. is a former Texans on Mission (then Texas Baptist Men) volunteer, and a new generation of volunteers came to his rescue.

The Temple Daily Telegraph, on its TDTnews.com website, showed Texans on Mission volunteer Blaine McCormick helping respond to Temple tornadoes. In the photo, McCormich operates a chainsaw under guidance from Dave Roby (right).

After storms caused power outages and extensive property damage on May 25 in Pilot Point, north of Dallas, Texans on Mission volunteers are doing what they do best throughout the community. A TXM chainsaw team was out on Memorial Day cutting down tree limbs and clearing other debris from homes.

History can hang in the balance at unsuspecting times. A congregation of four or five gathered 20 years ago in Vincent, Texas, to vote on whether or not to disband as a church. One woman cited Scripture: “Where two or more are gathered, God is with us.”

Volunteers are sparking hope in Houston storm survivors this week.

Texans on Mission is feeding more than 2,900 meals per day in Houston after a tornado caused massive damage in the area on May 16. The meals are being distributed through the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and local congregations like LifeBrook Church of Houston.

Texans on Mission Disaster Relief assessors surveyed damage west of downtown Houston today, and the TXM Kingsland Baptist Church chainsaw team from Katy will begin removing downed trees Saturday morning. Also, the state mass feeding unit is expected to head to Houston.

Thanks to the creativity of a Mississippi layman and a gift from California Baptists, Texans on Mission provided an expanded service to Southeast Texas families affected by recent flooding, reports the Baptist Standard.