Sunnyside Church Expects Electric Bill 10 Times Normal After Helping Hurricane Beryl Victims

HOUSTON – When a disaster strikes, the first place many people go is the church.

In Sunnyside, that’s exactly what hundreds of people did in the days after Hurricane Beryl left more than two million Houston residents in the dark amid a triple-digit heat index.

At First Missionary Baptist Church in Sunnyside, they’ve been welcomed with open arms. But it’s come at a cost to the congregation, which is now facing an electric bill that’s expected to be nearly ten times its usual bill.

For seven days after Beryl stranded many in the Houston heat, the church along Briscoe Street in Sunnyside became a way to help the local community survive, literally.

They offered a space to cool off, outlets to charge phones and operate medical equipment, and a hot meal.

“God has never abandoned me and I believe that in caring for His people, I think God smiles on what we have done,” said Pastor Henry Price II.

For seven days, the church was open to residents 24/7. Hundreds of people took advantage of this lifeline nestled in their neighborhood.

“The Lord left the lights on here and everybody else’s lights were off,” Pastor Price said. “It was my duty to invite everyone into the house of the Lord.”

It’s almost a miracle that the church has never been without electricity while it has been plagued by power outages. The pastor took this as a sign to open up and allow his community in, whether for a few minutes or a few days.

“People were saying we were going to sleep in a sanctuary,” Price said. “Well, that’s what it is, a sanctuary. And so we had people sleeping on the benches, wherever they could set up. During the storm, there were portable hemodialysis machines. I had people here. It was hooked up to heart monitors and all that kind of stuff.”

As you can imagine, keeping the lights on, the air conditioning on full blast, and providing everyone with a space to recharge their batteries quickly caused their electricity bills to skyrocket.

“Our monthly utility bill is $850,” the pastor told KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding. “We’re expecting the bill to be about $8,000 or $9,000 for this month.”

That’s about ten times their normal amount. That’s a big check that the pastor will have to find a way to write.

“I’m sure the Lord will make a way,” Price said.

This is not a one-time event for this church that helps the community.

Every month, they distribute hundreds of boxes of food from the food bank to help those who need it most. Providing them with air conditioning and electricity is just another example of how they help the Sunnyside community.

“When you do it and you help people in need, that’s all that matters,” Price said.

But he still has that big electricity bill to pay.

After making a few calls, it turns out that FEMA helps churches that help others during disasters.

It’s help like this that will make it easier for a small church like First Missionary Baptist Church to weather a storm like Beryl.

But Pastor Price has faith that no matter what happens, they will survive to sunnier days.

“We’ve been in this situation before. You know, if the Lord has done it before, he’ll do it again. I’m convinced of that,” he said.