SC Church Group Returns for Mission Trip After Bus Crash in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Tenn.- The Hagood Avenue Baptist church group out of South Carolina is in Cleveland this week repairing homes for low-income families. Two years ago this week, the group was in a horrible bus crash on their way home from the very same mission trip.

Jerry Brown says, “Our church is involved in a lot of missions this is just one of them.”

Brown has been a part of this mission trip for the last 15 years. Back in 2015, the group hit a significant bump in the road when the team was involved in a bus crash leaving Cleveland, headed back home. Brown’s grandson was injured in that crash, but he says they returned to Cleveland the very next year to join Ocoee Outreach. They hope to cross off more homes from the growing list that need repairs.

Brown says, “We don’t want to let setbacks like that keep us from doing what we feel we need to do.”

In just a week this group was able to build this porch for one grateful homeowner. They say it’s all about their mission to spread the gospel. They are also putting in the windows in another home, giving the paint on the outside of the home a touch-up and just cleaning up the exterior of the homes.

“It gives you a warm feeling in your heart when you can help somebody, God has really blessed me, and I just want to give back,” says Brown.

The group will return to South Carolina this weekend, but they’ll be right back in the Tennessee Valley next year.