Houston Pastor Proves the Local Church Is Uniquely Equipped to Handle Disaster

ChurchLeaders: What is your view on why all these disasters are happening right now?

Haynes: It’s complicated. I think we live in a Genesis 3 reality, and based on my understanding of the Scripture, everything is broken because of sin. And that includes the weather and our bodies and our souls and our psyche…God from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 is all about the restoration of all things. Before Genesis 3 it’s a Garden of Eden. In Revelation 22 everything’s right again. God’s in the center. It’s a back to the Garden kind of deal. But between that, it’s this reality that things are broken and God’s a good shepherd, he shepherds us through.

I think he’s sovereign over all of it, and I think he uses it to accomplish his purposes in the world, but I don’t think he’s a puppet master in the sky that is winding up these hurricanes and trying to judge people. I think he uses it to refine us, to convict us, to help us understand our dependence on him, to see the beautiful parts of him. The church universal has been amazing. The greatest atheists on our side of town would tell you the church has knocked it out of the park. It’s evidence of the love of God.

I don’t think God hates Houston so he sent a hurricane. I don’t think God hates Puerto Rico. I think he loves Puerto Ricco. God loves Florida. God loves Mexico City. But I do think the earth is groaning because of its brokenness and God is about restoring all of that…We’re told in Scripture the earth will groan…According to the Scripture, it’s just like birth pains of what’s to come. But it’s not a mean God—it’s a broken world.

ChurchLeaders: You mentioned atheists recognizing how stellar the church has been. Have you seen a lot of evangelism happening with these relief efforts? 

Haynes: Yes. For example, everybody that’s come to our distribution center at Bay Area Church has been presented with the gospel. That’s maybe thousands of people over three weeks. And there have been confessions of Christ. We have lists [of people], but we haven’t followed up yet because we’ve been in such go-mode. That’s what we’re trying to figure out next is how do we follow up with these people…I believe that we’re going to end up planting churches in some of the areas hardest hit. These people are coming to our church for food and water because they love us. We’ve been given this affinity with them.

I bet in Houston there have been more gospel shares in the last month than in the last 20 years, if I had to bet.…I think you’re going to see an expansion of the kingdom in Houston, and consequently around the world, because Houston’s a crossroads. We have people from all over the world. I think it’s the first or second most diverse city in the United States, so we’re impacting atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, everybody.

Despite the difficult road ahead for his church, it clear to see that Pastor Haynes feels God’s leading in the relief efforts. “It’s brutal, but at the same time, it’s good. I don’t even know how to describe that,” he says.

After this interview was conducted, Pastor Haynes posted a video on Facebook giving an update on the relief efforts.