Carey Strong

It’s been a rough week for students and community members in the Pine Belt. That’s why William Carey officials organized a night of unity at Temple Baptist Church.
For the first time in almost a week, William Carey students were able to reunite with one another as well as faculty and others who were affected by Saturday’s tornado. Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny L. Dupree said, “We had over 1,100 structures, residential structures that were damaged. Over 250 that were destroyed. We had 11,000 people without power.”
Hundreds of people gathered at Temple Baptist Church for a night of prayer, praise and comfort. Temple Baptist Church Executive Pastor Gary Shows said, “We’ve all experienced a lot of trauma. Many people lost everything they had and we’re coming together to fellowship together and to worship our Lord together and hopefully to encourage one another from this point on.”
From athletes to resident assistants, a variety of students recapped their experience during the storm and their emotions over the past week. William Carey Alumni Greyson Adkins said, “It’s been scary to watch friends and people I know kind of scrambling around trying to find where they’re going to go, how they’re going to get home.”
Organizers titled the worship event ‘Carey Strong’ to remind students and community members that even though tough times are ahead, no one has to go through the process alone.
Many even purchased a ‘Carey Strong’ t-shirt outside the service. The fundraiser is just one of the many contributions going toward disaster relief for the campus. William Carey University staff member Dick Vogel said, “Southern Miss owners, people in the community, businesses, churches, I mean it’s a blessing. To take something as horrific as what happened and turn it into a positive is incredible.”