Baptist Church Destroyed by Tornado but Pastor Won’t Quit on God

Victory Baptist Church in Salada, TX has been a staple in the community for just about 43 years but on Tuesday night pastor Billy Borho got a call he never expected.  An F3 tornado had flattened the Victory Baptist Church and all that remained was the foundation that the church had stood on earlier that day.  The tin roof had been ripped off and all that could be found were a few nails sticking out of the floor and red carpet.  “The guy just called and said yall’s church is gone,” Borho said according to kxxv.com.

On Wednesday recovery efforts started in earnest. The pastor Billy Borho and his granddaughter Haley Brown went down to the church to clean up and collect whatever could be salvaged.  Soon they were joined by members of the community helping to collect what was left of their beloved church.  Haley brown was capable of recovering a few bibles, some financial reports, and other personal items important to her grandfather.  Borho said, “The only thing that wasn’t untouched was my desk and the bibles and stuff that I was using to read and study. There was no devastation, nothing to that desk and that chair in those boxes.  Everything else in the room was destroyed, but that room was protected, that place was protected. I’ll tell you what I think, I think God is saying it’s all in the word of God.”

Unfortunately, the church did not have insurance because a fire hydrant wasn’t nearby when the church was built. The church didn’t have a fire hydrant because it operated on well water.  Now Victory Baptist Church has the enormous task of rebuilding without insurance. In spite of this, it hasn’t shaken pastor Billy Borho’s determination to bring the church back to the community. “We’re crushed by what we see but God has given us the strength. I’ve looked in the Bible, it doesn’t say anywhere in there that I can quit,” said Borho.   That determination and spirit will carry Victory Baptist Church through Holy Easter Sunday with a little help from their friends.

Victory Baptist Church will still be holding Easter Sunday services at 11:00 AM where the church once stood before the F3 tornado took it from its foundation. Pastor Borho and Celebration Church from Georgetown, TX will be making this possible by providing a tent for parishioners and a sound system so that everyone can hear and worship on Easter Sunday morning. “God is here and he’s showing us that it’s not about things it’s about him,” said Brown.

Amber Sorensen has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help rebuild Victory Baptist Church in Salado TX. On the GoFundMe page they ask for above anything else, prayers that God will receive Glory through their loss and that people please keep Pastor Billy Borho and his family in their prayers through this recovery. As of Saturday April 16th, 2022, the GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Ms. Sorensen raised $23,347 from just 37 donors in three days. If you’re interested in donating, the link can be found here.