BREVARD, NC, (BRN) – As Dewey and I (Kathie Aiken) have worked as Baptists on Mission on- site coordinators for the Pennsylvania Partnership for several years, we have witnessed a growing bond between our two states.

The lostness in beautiful Pennsylvania is staggering. The churches of the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) are intentional in pushing back the darkness in cities, towns and farming communities as they actively share Jesus with their people. It is our privilege to walk alongside these dear friends as ministry partners.  

In August of 2024, a team of volunteers from Brevard, North Carolina, traveled to the Northern Tier of PA to prayer walk and encourage pastors and leaders where there is little evangelical work.

A few days before leaving NC, the team learned of a devastating flood that had just occurred in the area where they were to serve. The work then turned into not only prayer walking/encouragement, but active Disaster Relief (DR).

The boots went on, the hands got dirty and conversations focused on a hurting PA. God used this flexible team to share the love of Christ through the hands and feet of disaster ministry.  

In mid- September, Dewey and I returned to NC from working six months in PA and New England. We came back to our Brevard home to mostly work with Appalachia ministry and Appalachian Christmas Outreach.

We did not know what was going to happen on Sept. 27…but God did.

We, along with thousands of others, experienced the wrath of Hurricane Helene. God used this experience to grow all of us and open our eyes to the needs of our own hurting neighbors.

At the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) annual meeting, the Executive Director of the BRN, Dr. Barry Whitworth, reminded us of the strong partnership between our two conventions.

Whitworth pledged financial gifts and prayers for NC from the churches of BRN. He also said, “North Carolina, we are on our way to help you recover from this horrific storm.’’

That is exactly what they did.

At the end of November, a Disaster Relief team of sixteen, including the Whitworth and his wife, Beth, arrived in Swannanoa, North Carolina, to work. They participated in mud outs and hurricane clean up.

They even came to work in our Brevard neighborhood to do chain saw and brush clean up. The neighbors still talk about the thorough, effective job these wonderful volunteers from Pennsylvania did to help us.  

Kenton Hunt, the DR Director for BRN, said to me while they were here, “Kathie, our PA/NC partnership is like poetry. NC writes a verse, BRN writes a verse, and so on.”

What results is a beautiful poem of worship and service to our God. Working alongside others in unity of purpose is an offering of praise to God. Laborers together for Kingdom purpose – that is partnership.

Read more about the disaster relief efforts the Pennsylvania team engaged in during their time in North Carolina here. Give to ongoing Hurricane Helene relief efforts in NC here. Learn more about the BRN/NC Partnership here.