In Hawaii, Lahaina Baptist Church ‘Untouched’ by Fires Amid Surrounding Ashes

LAHAINA, Hawaii—After the devastation left by the wildfires that wrecked the western side of the island of Maui, over a thousand people near here are left unaccounted for as the death toll, now at 114, continues to climb.

Pastor Barry Campbell of Lahaina Baptist Church, his wife Marcy, and Bryant Wright of Send Relief joined The Daily Signal to describe the aftermath of the wildfires, the church’s efforts to find survivors and aid the community, and Pastor Campbell’s answer to the devastation and pain left by the fires which affected the town.

The Daily Signal has not yet been allowed in the part of Lahaina where Lahaina Baptist Church still stands. The area is cordoned off with new fences as National Guard and local police man checkpoints at each intersection—restricting access not only from aid workers and media, but also from any locals.

Drone flights are also banned by the Federal Aviation Administration in and around Lahaina, preventing The Daily Signal from obtaining any areal footage of the church or greater Lahaina.

Local officials told The Daily Signal that these areas would likely remained cordoned off until cadaver dogs were finished searching the area for the bodies of the perished.

Lahaina Baptist Church is holding a Sunday morning service at 9:30 A.M., Hawaii Standard Time, on the shores of Airport Beach in Lahaina.

Send Relief is a disaster relief and aid ministry of the Southern Baptist Church convention.

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