By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
ROBERT – Talk about adding insult to injury.
First, their worship center flooded with 12 inches of water Aug. 12.
Now, Crossgate Church of Robert is dealing with another problem – theft of a fork attachment used to load items for those affected by the flooding.
Pastor Louis Husser noticed the equipment was stolen Aug. 18, when some members and volunteers were preparing to load the supplies for delivery. The green 521 Loader was worth $2,500.
“We have 10,000 houses that flooded in Tangipahoa Parish and this piece of equipment was needed to help them,” Husser said. “But we will roll on.”
When word got out during a pastor’s meeting Crossgate Church was in need of a new loader, a fellow Northshore Baptist Association church responded.
After hearing of the situation, Carl Richardson, chairman of the deacons at Lee Valley Baptist Church in Loranger who also works for a company that sells tractor supplies and equipment, contacted his pastor to see if they could provide funding for a new loader. The congregation obliged, agreeing to turn what could have been a trying situation into a good ending.
Richardson sees the gesture as a way to pay forward what others have done for Lee Valley Baptist Church. In early 2015, the church was about to close its doors and had $200 in the bank. That’s when they received help from a multitude of churches and were able to increase their membership from 15 to 40.
“Our church was able to put our arms around a sister church and be a blessing to them,” Richardson said. “It’s in God’s plan to provide a need and what an awesome feeling it was to know God allowed us to be used and we give Him the glory for it.”
Herman Gauthier, pastor of Lee Valley Baptist Church, said their facilities didn’t flood which allowed them to give a hand to a church in need.
“It does your heart and your soul well to know you can be a Christ-like person and help,” Gauthier said. “When we see someone down, we try to lift out our hands and help them.”
Trying year for association
The theft comes at a time when Northshore Baptist Association and its churches have seen their share of criminal activity this year.
Between Jan. 24 and Feb. 5, someone stole $35,000 worth of disaster relief equipment from the feeding unit for the Northshore Baptist Association.
On July 2, an arsonist torched Bayou Baptist Church in Slidell for the second time in a 10-month period. The church, which was vacant and did not have electricity, was in the process of being renovated from the October 2015 blaze.
Northshore Baptist Association Director of Missions Lonnie Wascom said while it is discouraging someone steal from another church in his association, he is encouraged a sister church stepped up to provide in Crossgate Church’s time of need.
“What evil tried to do, God turned around for good,” Wascom said.
Those with any information about the theft at Crossgate Church should call Crimestoppers Tangipahoa at 800.554.5245.
