When Hurricane Katrina — and later, its younger sister, Hurricane Rita — forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, countless churches rushed to help. But few were as prepared to serve the influx of evacuees as the Impact Houston congregation in Texas.

“Our regular ministries are done in the context of the chaos of the inner city where people feel a sense of desperation and where unemployment and displacement are the norm,” said Charlie Middlebrook, Impact Houston minister/elder.

Middlebrook and two other preachers, Ron Sellers and Doug Williams, started Impact Houston in 1987, with a goal of reaching out to the poor, racially diverse heart of the city.
November 1, 2005

When Hurricane Katrina — and later, its younger sister, Hurricane Rita — forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, countless churches rushed to help. But few were as prepared to serve the influx of evacuees as the Impact Houston congregation in Texas.

“Our regular ministries are done in the context of the chaos of the inner city where people feel a sense of desperation and where unemployment and displacement are the norm,” said Charlie Middlebrook, Impact Houston minister/elder.

Middlebrook and two other preachers, Ron Sellers and Doug Williams, started Impact Houston in 1987, with a goal of reaching out to the poor, racially diverse heart of the city.

The first service — on the second Sunday of 1987 — came after a core group of about 20 people spent six months planning and praying about planting the church.

Middlebrook, an urban missions consultant to Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas, since 1992, has written three books and served as a mediator in hundreds of Houston court cases.

He describes himself as a “very bad but highly enthusiastic Galveston surf fisherman.”

He and Mollie, his wife of 35 years, have a daughter, Jenny McLeod; two sons, Daniel and Sam; and seven grandchildren.

Impact Houston’s work with Katrina victims drew national attention, including a front-page mention in the Wall Street Journal. What role did Impact Houston play after Katrina?

Much of the attention during that time was focused on Impact, but that was unfortunate in that we were simply among the many who rallied to meet the need created when hundreds of thousands of displaced people came to our city. In fact, many of the people who volunteered at our campus during that time were members of other churches of Christ and even other denominations. ... We served approximately 2,500 refugees. We are maintaining a good relationship with many whom we helped to find employment and places to live.

After all these people evacuated to Houston after Katrina, they were forced to leave again by Rita. How did that affect Impact Houston?

Many, many members of the church, including some of our staff who had small children and elderly people in their families, evacuated Houston as Rita approached. Others of us stayed in our homes. Still others stayed at our main building. Those who were already refugees from New Orleans also fled. A large part of the “effect” of the entire sequence was psychological.

We all saw, and many experienced, the astonishing gridlock on our freeways. Rich and poor alike were trapped in hopeless traffic jams. One of our families traveled just over 100 miles in 36 hours in 100-degree heat. Their puppy died on the journey. And theirs wasn’t an unusual story. We all have a greater sense of vulnerability that won’t soon leave. The good news is feeling vulnerable will make us more aware of our complete dependence on God.

Some have talked about “compassion fatigue” in the wake of Katrina and Rita. Do you ever deal with that, and how do you overcome it?

It is a danger. People do get weary. This is surely part of what Isaiah was talking about when he said even the very strongest sometimes “fall exhausted.”

After dealing with mostly other people’s crises for almost a month, often intensely and for 12 to 14 hours per day, the excitement and adrenaline flow begin to ebb. I have the amazing good fortune of being surrounded by people who aren’t driven by emotion or adrenaline who just never stop. They do refuel, I think, by “waiting on the Lord.” I’m sure they have wonderful devotional lives and that they occasionally go away to quiet places where they are renewed.

Most of them are humble people whose names are never spoken in public, but who are heroic examples of faithfulness over time.

What lessons do you think the hurricanes and Christians’ response teach us about how to serve people even when there’s not a disaster?

If we ever needed proof that it is more blessed to give than to receive, we’ve seen it in the events of the past month in Houston. To the last person, those whom I’ve seen exhausted from serving others say over and over again how greatly blessed they are to be able to help, truly help, someone else. Some of the lessons life teaches us have to be practiced intentionally. I believe that about this experience. Maybe it will teach us the value of humble service.

It would be wonderful if we would learn the lesson so well and practice it so fully that others would begin to say of churches of Christ, “They’re the people who love others, those to whom you go when you’re in trouble.”

Changing subjects, you wrote a book with 92-year-old Texas Dabney titled Good Morning Charlie, This is Texas. How did that come about?

Texas was 91 when I met her. When she died at 92 she had become one of my most cherished friends. The book is a reproduction of daily telephone calls she made to me during the last year of her life. They are remarkable messages because she had a clear mind, a big heart and an inimitable way of expressing herself, and she knew she was dying. Some days she’d be joyous and others she’d be very sad. But she was always gracious. I’d like to take full credit for the book, but the truth is that the principle author is Texas Dabney. You can order the book online on our website, Impacthouston.org. All the proceeds go to Impact.

For a number of years you have celebrated your birthday by riding your bicycle 380 miles from Houston to Abilene. What’s the story there?

I started making the ride when I was 40, as a celebration. When I was 50, a group of friends joined me and we did it as a fundraiser. Now, 11 years later, I’m joined by 40 to 50 others and a host of support people. It takes us 31⁄2 days. This year’s ride was one of the best. The high temperatures, even though it was August, were in the 80s. And we raised over $100,000 for the Impact Youth Development Center, our world-class after-school program for urban children.

How did you become a Christian, and when?

I became a Christian at age 17 in my hometown, Anson, Texas. I was profoundly influenced by Curtis Ramey, a former attorney and judge in Alabama, who was the local church of Christ preacher. He was an emotional man who was unashamed of his love for Christ. I was one of many teenagers who became Christians under his tutelage.

How do you feel about the church today? Optimistic? Pessimistic?

Thank you for asking how I feel about the church today. It’s a question I take very seriously. There is so much about which I feel optimistic. We have largely escaped the legalism that I think defined us for a very long time.

Our congregations are filled with young adult Christians who are focused on the great mysteries of our faith — love, hope, grace, truth, etc. In so many important ways I feel like I’m being led by people 30 years younger than me.

And when there is a crisis like the current one, the church responds beautifully. These things inspire me.

What concerns do you have?

One is that we, including (maybe especially) the young adults just mentioned, are often full participants in today’s declining secular culture. It’s difficult to attain balance between the legalism I’ve already mentioned, with its clearly defined rules, and an emphasis on grace that seems to have no rules. (I find comfort in dealing with this issue in knowing that the Apostle Paul, who spoke as much about grace as any other subject, was quick to say that grace is not a license to sin.)

A second, related concern I have is that we are becoming less and less biblically literate. I see it, or think I do, in much contemporary preaching. ... Taking a phrase from a Bible text and preaching a simple sermon that entertains ... is easy and popular. But I’m not sure it will prove adequate in the long term in maturing Christians.

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