In times of trial, it is not uncommon for faith to be put to the test. For the members of Harvest Church of Daisetta, that test came on Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the form of a tree.
A tree was being felled on a neighboring property and landed on the church, damaging all four central air conditioning units and taking out a portion of the roof. The circumstances and timing of the disaster couldn’t have been worse.
The person taking out the tree for the neighbor had no insurance and the church was in between insurance policies, having been dropped by its insurance carrier over the summer.
Pastor J. Taylor Choate, who also teaches for Dayton ISD, said that while crises of this type would normally send him over the edge, this one raised his faith from Day 1.
“After my initial understanding of the situation, we just walked in a spirit of belief and expectancy that God had it figured out,” Choate said. “I felt like God told me to not put the pen down and turn the page yet. He wasn’t done showing up just yet.”
Choate shared that one of the ladies in his church, whose husband is his right-hand man when it comes to facilities, said to him, “Pastor, you told us last year to expect more and better. We believe God is going to do that for us here.”
Choate said that financial support and assistance suddenly started pouring in from all over. Lifepoint Church in Daisetta, First Baptist Church in Hull, Mercy Gate Church in Mont Belvieu and a church in Springfield, Mo., all offered help.
The quote for replacing all four air conditioning systems was initially a whopping $20,000. Because the work was for a church, the contractor agreed to replace all four units at cost for $12,000.
“It has been pretty spectacular seeing everyone pitch in to help us. We ended up getting more than we needed,” Choate said.
One of the donors has covered the costs of the church’s insurance policy, which will provide some peace of mind for Choate and church members.
“This was just another way of showing that God is mighty, powerful and resourceful. The tree fell on Wednesday. By Saturday, the ACs were replaced, and the roof was repaired, and by Sunday we were back to holding services,” Choate said.