On January 28 a wonderful celebration was held in Dallas TX! MNA Disaster Response dedicated the MNA John Browne Family Disaster Response Center to the glory of God! Several area pastors took a part in the dedication service including Bill Lovell from MetroCrest PCA in Carrolton TX, Anton Heuss from Bethel PCA in Dallas TX, and Patrick Poteet from Christ Community PCA in Frisco TX. Pastor Poteet challenged us with a homily focused on delivering mercy to the tempest-tossed.

The service of dedication was faithful to recognize God’s continued blessing to MNA and remember John Browne’s huge contribution to these efforts. Arklie Hooten, MNA Disaster Response Director recounted that the cumulative reward of hard work by many of God’s people, over the long-haul, in the same direction, results in full harvest. Rick Lenz, the Depot Manger recognized all those who contributed the time, talent, and treasure to make the campus fully operational. Under his excellent leadership the depot’s inventory has grown to well over $1,000,000 of supplies, equipment and specialized mission-critical speciality trailers such as mobile bunkhouses and showers, skid-steer loaders, and huge generators capable of repowering church buildings when the power-grid gets knocked out.

Brief History of the MNA John Browne Family Disaster Response Center In August 2017, Houston TX was crushed by Hurricane Harvey; major portions of the metroplex were flooded and many communities served by the PCA were affected. MNADR began relief operations on multiple fronts. Large quantities of supplies, equipment and specialty trailers were transported from the Rome warehouse to support the PCA response. This required many days since Rome GA is approximately 800 miles from Houston TX and a two-day trip each way is required to safely transport supplies, equipment, and specialty trailers.

An early focus of our work in Houston was constructing Sheds of Hope (SOH) for displaced homeowners. This effort was led by John Browne and a team of volunteers. SOH are 8’x8’ high quality yard-barns that provide dry secure space for homeowners to store recovered personal property as well as rebuilding supplies. As of January 2023 MNADR has furnished more than 1,700 SOH (approximately $2,000,000 in cost) since we began this project in 2006. The PCA is the only denomination that is engaged in the large-scale provision of storage capacity for homeowners in disaster affected communities.

During the Houston response, congregations of North TX Presbytery sought to assist at a high level, although the majority of the impacted churches were more than three and a half hours away. John Browne recognized the huge logistical challenges and sought a temporary warehouse in the Dallas / Fort Worth area where local volunteers could prebuild SOH, which would then be marshaled to Houston for installation. Through John’s influence and friendship, the Williams Company and Mr Campbell Williams offered an area in one of the Williams Company warehouses in Dallas for our temporary use.

The partnership worked so well that that MNADR was asked by the Williams Company to not shutter the depot when the response concluded, but instead to further develop the depot to include prepositioned supplies, equipment, and large specialized mission-critical trailers. The Williams Company increased its partnership by providing the entire warehouse for our use. The Dallas Depot now boasts 10,000 sq ft of warehouse capacity in addition to ample secure outside parking for large, specialized trailers and equipment.

Rick Lenz led a dedicated team of volunteers over three years in renovating the depot. Generous donors have equipped the Dallas Depot with new mobile bunkhouses, mobile showers, enclosed delivery trailers, new skid-steer loaders and implements, etc. The inventory of supplies and equipment is growing.

The depot provides coverage for a 300-mile radius of Dallas TX. This area comprises 31,000,000 people and includes a large swath of TX, LA, OK, KS, MO, and AR. The ‘Dallas Depot’ has been named the MNA Disaster Response John Browne Family Disaster Response Center as a memorial to John Browne’s steadfast dedication and assistance in development of the depot. The MNA John Browne Family Disaster Response Center is dedicated to God’s Glory; we ask for His continued blessing as the resource is used to bless others.

Warehouse operations and Sheds of Hope are tools MNA Disaster Response can use to expedite relief to many hundreds, even thousands, of disaster disrupted families immediately after a disaster event. These and many other methods work together to reach many lives and propel people to recovery.

Thank you for your support and partnership in this ministry that allowed MNA to renovate and dedicate this vital resource!

If you would like to visit the Dallas campus and/or volunteer please be in contact with Rick @ rlenz@pcanet.org. If you would like to fund an upcoming improvement project please contact Sherry Lanier @ slanier@pcanet.org to learn about options. To learn more about Mission to North America Disaster Response and the comprehensive efforts to preposition mission-critical resources, please visit our warehouse and training center website.