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Dave Holden, the pastor of Lake Gregory Community, volunteered his church to be a helpmate to Calvary Baptist Church in Pascagoula. The Mississippi church was devastated. "Before the hurricane, he had 90 people in his church," says Holden of Pastor Johnny Beaver. "He had 9 last Sunday. Half of his congregation has lost 100 percent of their housing."

Holden called Beaver in Pascagoula. His eagerness to help tripped out faster than the stranger in Mississippi could believe.

"Hey, Johnny, I live out in California and my church wants to pay your salary."

There was dead silence on the telephone line. "Johnny?"

"Who are you?" the Mississippi pastor drawled out suspiciously.

Holden then allowed his explanation to catch up with his enthusiasm. He explained his own church's experience with disaster and his connection with Warren's Purpose-Driven disaster network.

Then, to Holden's consternation, Pastor Johnny said he had to go and abruptly hung up the phone. Holden was speechless.

Pastor Johnny explained in a subsequent phone call that he had needed to attend to an emergency: A member had just discovered that his house was filled with mud. Pastor Johnny told Holden he was grateful that he could now help channel some funds to his members.

Holden listened in astonishment. "Man, you are either the real deal or nuts to hang up on me," the Californian said.

The two pastors prayed together over the phone and promised to keep in touch. Another church also provided a trailer house for Pastor Johnny and his family.

Speaking with CT, Holden reflected on his phone call with Pastor Johnny. He realized it wasn't about money. The call was about grieving hearts and how love binds up.

"You can hear that the money is just a start," Holden said. "There is something about being present that allows the thought: I am not alone. That is priceless."

Tony Carnes, based in New York City, is a senior writer for Christianity Today. Additional reporting by Deann Alford in Austin, Texas.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

See also today's sidebars:

Why? | Victims and pundits grope for meaning, political and religious.

Inside CT: Be the Change | How Christianity Today covered a busy hurricane season before Wilma.

More Christianity Today coverage of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their aftermath is at our full coverage area.

The Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Press has a collection of its articles on hurricane relief efforts. Associated Baptist Press also has a collection of its own stories.

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November 2005, Vol. 49, No. 11