Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, joined multiple churches and relief agencies Wednesday in responding to the devastating flooding in the Texas Hill Country that has killed at least 120 people, while another 172 remain missing since last Friday.
In a statement provided to The Christian Post, Gateway Church leaders said they launched crisis relief efforts as soon as they became aware of the tragedy. They called on their community to give and pray. The response was overwhelming, they said.
“Gateway family and community — in response to the devastating floods that swept through Central Texas on the Fourth of July, you’ve taken action and your generosity has been incredible,” the church noted in a statement on Facebook Wednesday, along with a video message from executive pastor, Nic Lesmeister.
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“Thank you for responding with compassion and quick action by giving generously to support those affected by the flooding. We ask that you join us in continuing to pray for every victim, their families, and the first responders serving tirelessly in the aftermath.”
Lesmeister said Gateway Church will be directing flood relief donations to “trusted ministries that have been approved by the state of Texas” to work in the affected areas.
The church further told CP that funding had been distributed directly to Mercy Chefs, a faith-based nonprofit disaster relief organization that provides professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims, volunteers, and first responders in the wake of natural disasters.
Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls located along the Guadalupe River, which has been in operation since 1926, remains among the areas hardest hit by the flood.
At least 27 attendees and counselors from the camp are either dead or missing. Another five campers and a counselor are still unaccounted for, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Scott and Katie Fineske, who own and direct the all-boys Camp La Junta in Hunt, Texas, thanked God that no one from their camp died during the flood but grieve for the victims at Camp Mystic.
“We are profoundly grateful that every boy at Camp La Junta is safe, yet our hearts are heavy,” they said in a statement, cited by ABC News. “We grieve with the families of the Camp Mystic girls and with everyone affected by this tragedy, including our dear friends, Dick Eastland and Jane Ragsdale.”
Ragsdale, the director of the Heart O’ the Hills Camp for Girls, and Eastland, the longtime director of Camp Mystic, both died in the flooding.
The Fineskes said that when the floodwaters crossed their camp’s main field on Friday morning, “our team moved cabin-by-cabin to higher ground and confirmed, through repeated headcounts, that every camper and staff member was accounted for.”
They learned later that day of the Camp Mystic deaths, which shook their entire community.
While state officials investigate what went wrong, many other churches, such as Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, have also stepped forward to help flood victims.
“In response to the recent devastating flooding in Kerr County and across the Hill Country, the PCBC Missions Committee has designated $10,000 to Texans on Mission to support their ongoing relief efforts for those impacted by this tragedy,” the church announced Wednesday. “If you feel led to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this time of need, opportunities to serve are available at texansonmission.org/serve.”
Members of Gateway Church and leaders in Southlake have also joined together to provide prayer and support for families impacted by the floods in Kerr County. Gateway Church is also helping cover critical crisis needs, including rebuilding efforts, funeral expenses, and emergency aid for displaced families.
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