Churches respond after deadly tornadoes in Southeast

Disaster assistance ministries associated with Churches of Christ are responding after deadly storms swept across Arkansas, Alabama and other parts of the Southeast in late April.

The building of the Coxey Church of Christ in Alabama was damaged severely by a tornado. See a photo with this story from The  Montgomery Advertiser.  

The Central Church of Christ in nearby Athens opened its building to serve as a shelter for people who lost their homes, AL.com reports.

Following are excerpts from reports provided by the ministries:

• Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort: We made early contact Monday morning (April 28) with the Vilonia and Mayflower communities in Arkansas. This afternoon, two truckloads of supplies will be departing. The first truckload of food, personal hygiene and cleaning supplies will be unloaded by the members of the Vilonia Church of Christ and the second load will be unloaded by the Levy Church of Christ in North Little Rock, Ark., for the Mayflower area. A third truckload will depart for the Miami Church of Christ in Oklahoma to help the Quapaw, Okla., and Baxter Springs, Kan., communities. 

On May 1, a truckload pulled away from our Operations Center for the Central Church of Christ in Athens, Ala., and, minutes later, another truckload left for the Washington Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville, Tenn. (On May 2) another shipment of food, personal hygiene and infant care boxes, plus cleaning supplies and water will leave for the Louisville Church of Christ in Mississippi, to be unloaded Saturday morning. We are finalizing a shipment to the flooded areas in Pensacola, Fla.

• Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team:  We will be working with the Vilonia Church of Christ and the Mars Hill Church of Christ in Vilonia, Ark.  We will be housing volunteers at the Mars Hill Church of Christ building. In the meantime, please keep the victims in prayer.

• Disaster Assistance CoC:  The Disaster Assistance Mission will also be working with Gateway Church of Christ in Pensacola, Fla., the Gulf Breeze Church of Christ in Florida and the Gulf Shores Church of Christ in Alabama.  I have a team of five people who have worked with us many times that will be staying here in Arkansas. We are set up at the Mayflower Church of Christ in Arkansas and also are working with the Levy Church of Christ in Arkansas, the West Side Church of Christ in Searcy, Ark., the College Church of Christ in Searcy and nearby Harding University. We will have crews working in Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida.

Do you know of congregations or church members affected by the storms? Are you involved in relief work — or in need of relief workers? Please post below.