July 17, 2025
CAMAK, Ga. — Nine months after fierce winds from Hurricane Helene toppled a massive 100-year-old pine tree onto the 1930s-style sanctuary of Camak Baptist Church, the congregation has returned to worship in its restored building.
Pastor Bryant Neal said 55 people attended the service on June 22, 2025. “It was a joyous time with smiles and love being shared among the people. Of course, I was a little nervous and feeling the pressure of expectations, but the smiles and the welcomed laughter among the people soon cast that aside. It felt like ‘home' being back in the sanctuary.”
The church moved worship services to a nearby annex after the hurricane, beginning repairs in March 2025 with help from volunteers and contractors. The sanctuary, which includes a main floor and two side rooms, suffered damage to the ceiling, walls, roof, floor, furniture, and electrical components. The fallen tree—42 inches wide and estimated to weigh 23,000 pounds—was the only tree on the property to fall.
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief removed the tree quickly, and a tarp was placed over the building. Neal said the DR team was “a phenomenal, generous, great-hearted, and fun-to-work-with group. They are really passionate about what they are doing and why they are doing it. They really want to make an impact for the cause of Christ in the community. The biggest thing is knowing they are not alone, and having support is encouraging.”
Camak Baptist Church received insurance payments, community donations, and financial help from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
“Through efforts with Georgia Baptists and Mission Georgia, we were able to make contact with all the churches in the impact area (1000) and then were able to provide support to all the churches that were affected (200)," said Jeff Gongwer, the GBMB's Pastor Wellness Catalyst for the East Central Region. "We were able to come beside them because of our cooperative effort. The beauty of Georgia Baptist life is that we are better together."
Gongwer explained, "As we collectively give through the Cooperative Program, which is 100 years old this year and this month, we’re able to advance the gospel and serve one another to the glory of God. And under the leadership of our executive director Thomas Hammond, Georgia Baptists responded with spiritual and physical support.”
Gongwer said while it was a familiar response, they had never had to deal with a situation of this magnitude. "Regardless, we wanted to show the tangible love of Jesus in this cooperative total team effort."
Neal said seeing the Lord work through disaster relief has been a great testimony. People are encouraged for the future, are coming to faith in Christ, and are hopeful where they would naturally be tempted to despair. And, although there was sadness and sentimental attachment to the building, Neal said the congregation knew that “God was sovereign over it and he had a plan. If he wanted us to rebuild, he was going to make that a possibility. And, he has done that."
He continued, "We are excited for all that He has done. We are seeing some people standing and trusting more. We’ve seen God providing. This process has been smooth for us. We’ve not had any kind of hurdles, big obstacles, or any hardships through this process. God has just been very, very faithful to our group. We’ve seen people’s faith expand.”
The church has always had a heart for missions locally and abroad, and this has "deepened that resolve a little bit. It’s solidified it a little more,” said Neal.
Relief efforts in the area are still ongoing. Rebuilding is still underway, tarps still cover some buildings, there are still trees and debris in yards, and people are trying to find contractors because everybody is maxed out, said Neal. Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief is still in the area providing assistance.
“It’s been an experience going through this process. And, just having Bible passages such as 'be still and know,' 'stand strong,' 'be of courage,' those kinds of passages have been a mantra of mine for the past several months. It’s been a time of testing and a time of affirmation. I’ve seen God working. And, even if things were not going exactly like I had anticipated or planned, the plan turned out better than what I had. He knows better what I need,” said Neal.
Gongwer said he is excited for Camak because they are a "gospel powerhouse" in their community. “It is normative in number, but God is doing great things there.”
Camak is no stranger to natural disasters. This, the second building in the church's history, hosted its first services in 1932. The first building was struck by lightning in the 1920s and was a total loss.
When asked what the fate of the tree will be, Neal replied, “With the last of the work fixing to come to a conclusion, one of the last major steps in this process is we’re going to burn the tree. Have a big bonfire.”
Anyone desiring to donate in support of ongoing relief efforts can do so by visiting Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief or Mission Georgia and clicking on the GIVE link at the top right.
