By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
CAMERON, La. (LBM) – More than five years after Hurricane Laura and Delta caused significant damage to the facilities of First Baptist Church, Cameron, the congregation has finalized plans to move forward with a rebuild of their facilities.
In January, Cameron Parish officials approved permits that allow the church to construct a new worship center and educational space, facilities that sustained significant damage from Hurricane Laura in August 2020. The church received its first payment of $47,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in June and expects to break ground this fall with completion sometime in 2027.
The project has been delayed in part because of federal bureaucratic snafus and a slowdown by federal agencies caused by Congress’s extended delay in passing budgets for the Department of Homeland Security which oversees FEMA.
PERSEVERANCE
Since January 2021, members have met for Sunday worship in various locations in the community, including the Cameron Parish Police Jury building, the Lighthouse Bend Restaurant and, currently, the Cameron Multipurpose Building. Most Sundays attendance averages 20- 25 people in person and online. They also meet for Bible study via a Facebook Live broadcast from Hugonin’s home on Wednesday evenings.
The members have continued ministering to their neighbors, serving 400 meals and distributing 900 evangelistic tracts,
alongside members of East Ridge Baptist Church, Lake Charles, during the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival in Cameron each year.
Hugonin said his members have remained faithful and resilient as they are hopeful they will one day worship again inside their building.
“The possibility of one more soul saved, one more heart turned to Christ is why we have not given up hope,” Hugonin said. “We have an opportunity to spread the Good News at a time when there is a lot of bad news.
“If you had the cure for cancer, you would go everywhere and share it,” he continued. “We have the cure for man’s soul just by sharing the Good News of the Gospel. I have been challenging them to hand out a Gospel tract, just share what God has done with you. You never know what results you will get.”
