Though more than 50 days have passed since the July 5 flood, some churches in Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, are struggling with reconstruction, including Tuanxin Church. In the church, all the electrical equipment has been damaged, and there is an odor lingering.
On the afternoon of July 5, following the greatest rainfall of 2024, the Dongting Lake dam in Tuanzhou Township, Huarong County, burst, causing widespread flooding. Pastor Wang of Tuanxin Church recalled the incident with me. As soon as the government's evacuation notice arrived, residents quickly moved to safety, with no time to save their possessions; the church faced the same dilemma.
The flood gushed into the church with a large amount of silt. Situated in a low-lying area, Tuanxin Church was severely affected. The floodwater kept rising, submerging the entire first floor and even reaching the second floor. Once the floodwaters receded, the church was left covered in smelly black silt over 30 centimeters thick.
The homes of the church's believers also suffered varying degrees of damage, with more than a dozen houses being washed down. Most of the believers are elderly and are busy rebuilding their own homes; thus, they have no empty hands to help with the church’s repairs. The church hired workers in the fourth week of August, spending three days removing the silt and cleaning the building. However, a strong odor still lingers inside.
On August 24, Tuanxin Church held its first gathering after the disaster. Normally, 80 to 90 believers would attend weekly, but only a little over 50 showed up this time. The service took place in the cleaned chapel, with no electrical equipment in use. In Pastor Wang's words, it was "like a gathering in the 1980s."
The church staff assessed that Tuanxin Church has suffered losses of over 100,000 yuan. While it is unclear how the repairs will proceed, Pastor Wang Guoquan affirmed that, "We believe in the presence of the Lord. We will overcome this disaster!"
Rev. Zhang Jie, vice chairman of the Huangrong County TSPM, reported that the disaster situation at the Tuanbei, Tuandong, and Tuanjie meeting points was similar to that of Tuanxin Church.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
自7月5日遭受洪灾以来，50多天过去了，湖南岳阳市华容县的部分受灾教堂仍面临着艰难的重建工作，团新教堂就是其中之一。该教会的所有电器设备都损坏了，教堂内仍充斥着异味。
7月5日下午，因着遭遇了2024年的最强降雨，华容县团洲乡的洞庭湖堤坝决堤，造成洪灾。团新教会的王传道跟笔者回忆了当时的场景。当地居民接到政府通知后立即向安全区撤离，来不及抢救家里的物资；教堂面临的情况亦是如此。
洪水来势汹汹，携带着大量的淤泥灌进了教堂里。因为团新教堂地势低，受灾格外严重，灌进教堂的洪水水位不断升高，没过了整个一层，进入了教堂的二层。待洪水退去后，教堂内覆盖着三十多公分的黑色淤泥，特别臭。
教会的信徒家也遭遇了不同程度的损失，有十几户的房子被冲倒。信徒们大多是高龄的，加上要忙于自家的重建，没有精力投入到教堂的修缮上。就在上周（8月的第四周），教会才花钱雇人用了三天的时间将教堂内的淤泥清除，并将教堂冲洗干净。然而，教堂内仍然有很明显的异味。
8月24日，团新教堂举办了洪水过后的首次聚会，原本每周固定能有八九十人来聚会，此次只来了五十多人。这场聚会是在刚清理干净的教堂内举行，没有使用任何的电力设备，王传道描述说“像80年代的那种聚会”。
团新教会的同工估计，团新教堂的这次损失有十几万元。虽然还不知道接下来的修缮工作如何开展，团新教堂的王国全传道说：“我们相信有主的同在。一定能胜过这次灾难！”
据华容县基督教三自爱国运动委员会副主席张杰介绍，团北、团东、团结聚会点的受灾情况与团新教堂类似。
洪水过后五十余天，岳阳华容县受灾教堂仍面临艰难的灾后重建工作
Though more than 50 days have passed since the July 5 flood, some churches in Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, are struggling with reconstruction, including Tuanxin Church. In the church, all the electrical equipment has been damaged, and there is an odor lingering.
On the afternoon of July 5, following the greatest rainfall of 2024, the Dongting Lake dam in Tuanzhou Township, Huarong County, burst, causing widespread flooding. Pastor Wang of Tuanxin Church recalled the incident with me. As soon as the government's evacuation notice arrived, residents quickly moved to safety, with no time to save their possessions; the church faced the same dilemma.
The flood gushed into the church with a large amount of silt. Situated in a low-lying area, Tuanxin Church was severely affected. The floodwater kept rising, submerging the entire first floor and even reaching the second floor. Once the floodwaters receded, the church was left covered in smelly black silt over 30 centimeters thick.
The homes of the church's believers also suffered varying degrees of damage, with more than a dozen houses being washed down. Most of the believers are elderly and are busy rebuilding their own homes; thus, they have no empty hands to help with the church’s repairs. The church hired workers in the fourth week of August, spending three days removing the silt and cleaning the building. However, a strong odor still lingers inside.
On August 24, Tuanxin Church held its first gathering after the disaster. Normally, 80 to 90 believers would attend weekly, but only a little over 50 showed up this time. The service took place in the cleaned chapel, with no electrical equipment in use. In Pastor Wang's words, it was "like a gathering in the 1980s."
The church staff assessed that Tuanxin Church has suffered losses of over 100,000 yuan. While it is unclear how the repairs will proceed, Pastor Wang Guoquan affirmed that, "We believe in the presence of the Lord. We will overcome this disaster!"
Rev. Zhang Jie, vice chairman of the Huangrong County TSPM, reported that the disaster situation at the Tuanbei, Tuandong, and Tuanjie meeting points was similar to that of Tuanxin Church.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
50 Days Post-Floods, Hunan Churches Face Ongoing Struggles
