Working high over the parking lot of Sarasota’s Colonial Oaks Baptist Church, volunteer David Allen, from Concord Baptist Church, Chiefland, repairs the church’s hurricane-damaged roof. Colonial Oaks has opened its doors to serve as the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief command center to coordinate Hurricane Milton recovery efforts.

Sarasota’s Colonial Oaks Baptist Church: ‘Here to serve the Lord and our community’

Photos by Jim Veneman

By Jessica Pigg Last updated Oct 15, 2024

SARASOTA—Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene struck Florida’s Big Bend, Category 3 Hurricane Milton made landfall Oct. 9 near Siesta Key, a barrier island located off the coast of Sarasota.

The storm brought 8 to 10 feet of storm surge to Sarasota, destroying hundreds of homes in the area and downing trees and power lines. Even more devastating damage came from a massive outbreak of tornados, with Sarasota recording the strongest tornado ever recorded in southwest Florida history, rated an EF-3 with winds of 140 mph.

This widespread devastation has resulted in a great need. That’s where Florida Baptists come in.

Less than 72 hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall, Florida Baptists already had boots on the ground and a southwest region disaster relief command center set up at Colonial Oaks Baptist Church in Sarasota.

There was just one problem—the church facility itself had suffered roof and wind damage from Hurricane Milton’s fury.

What seemed like a problem to the church was no problem for volunteers trained and ready to respond. The damage was repaired quickly and with little fanfare.

“We’re so grateful for the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief teams that immediately completed the repair with donated materials,” said Gary Roy, senior pastor at Colonial Oaks Baptist Church. “This was a major blessing for the church for them to do the repair for us.”

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief leaders gather regularly to strategize and pray in their command center set up at Colonial Oaks Baptist Church in Sarasota. Here (left to right), David Hill, Murdock Baptist Church, Port Charlotte; Dale Simmons, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Pensacola;
J.D. James, Central Baptist Church, Monticello, and David Coggins, director, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, discuss myriad details involved in recovery efforts, which will include mass feeding, damage assessment, clean-up and recovery, and spiritual care and witness.

‘Honored and blessed to serve’

The church sprang into action, offering its campus to be used for a massive disaster relief ground operation. Located directly off Interstate 75, the church is strategically placed and accessible to many in their region looking for needs to be met.

“We are completely honored and blessed that the church could be used to serve,” said Roy. “We’re all partners here, and we’re here to help.”

And David Coggins, FBDR director, is thankful for the church’s willingness to serve.

“We are very grateful for Pastor Gary Roy and the congregation at Colonial Oaks. They have been very welcoming to FBDR and our ministry operations here. They have given over their campus for our feeding ministry and clean-up teams. We are grateful to be able to partner with another of our Florida Baptist Convention churches and to come alongside them to help them reach their community,” Coggins said.

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Denise Foster, from First Baptist Church, The Villages, records every detail carefully as she serves in a vital role in disaster relief administration. The disaster relief command center, set up at Colonial Oaks Baptist Church in Sarasota, is coordinating recovery efforts following back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The FBDR command center is already operational, coordinating a mass feeding operation, drive-thru meal distribution, damage assessment, clean-up and recovery, and spiritual care and witness as Florida Baptist volunteers help community residents in the storm’s aftermath.

Because of the two back-to-back hurricanes, the command center will coordinate relief efforts for both Hurricanes Helene and Milton–the first time in 20 years that recovery efforts for two hurricanes have been managed simultaneously.

Pastor Roy is confident that FBDR is an excellent example of Cooperative Program giving and partnership.

“We’re here to serve the Lord and our community,” he said. “As a church that is in partnership with the Florida Baptist Convention, we have a great team. This has given us an opportunity to show how cooperative giving works.”

“We’re here to serve the Lord and our community. As a church that is in partnership with the Florida Baptist Convention, we have a great team. This has given us an opportunity to show how cooperative giving works.”

Gary Roy senior pastor, Colonial Oaks Baptist Church, Sarasota

Although the Sarasota church has served the physical needs of many in the past four days, Roy said the congregation has a greater mission in mind.

“We’re not here only to serve food; we’re here to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “First and foremost, that’s our mission.”

Join your fellow Florida Baptists in giving, going and praying to undergird the efforts of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief to bring help, healing and hope in times of crisis.