Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

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alumni by jeff robinson photos by trevor wheeker HOW ONE SBTS ALUM IS LEADING HIS CHURCH AMIDST THE RUBBLE OF A DEADLY STORM’S WAKE WE HAVE TO LIVE OUT OUR FAITH
THIRTY TO SIXTY SECONDS. That’s how long it took for the storm to explode Wes Fowler’s carefully regimented weekly schedule and, of profoundly more importance, to change his life and the lives of Mayfield, Kentucky’s citizens forever. Fowler, a PhD student at Southern Seminary and 2015 DMin graduate, spent the daytime hours that Friday as most busy pastors do—finishing his sermon and preparing his heart to preach to God’s people on the fast-approaching Lord’s Day. But by the next day, Fowler was being interviewed by CNN, the Washington Post, and other local and national media outlets about what had unfolded in his hometown during that tragic half-minute late Friday night. Fowler, with his wife and three kids, survived the deadly tornado that obliterated Mayfield, Kentucky, and the surrounding area on December 10, killing at least 84, including one member of the church he pastors, First Baptist Church of Mayfield. Several FBC members lost homes and property. Mercifully, the storm spared Fowler’s house. In the days following, he responded to a non-stop barrage of queries from national news media, along with dozens of emails and text messages offering help with recovery. FBC staff members and volunteers operated out of a motor home positioned on church property across from the main sanctuary. During our interview, he received a call from the mayor of Mayfield, and his phone beeped regularly as text messages rolled in. “The last few days have been unique,” he said, his phone lighting up with yet another unknown caller, this one from Mississippi. “See, look at that,” he said. “There have been phone calls from all over the country, text messages coming in, emails coming in. On day one I was trying to respond to them as they came in, but now there’s an overwhelming feeling that I can’t keep up. I want to, but at one point I had over a hundred text messages that I hadn’t even seen yet.” Fowler and his church became an epicenter for communicating the tragedy to the outside world. He was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Amid the rubble, Fowler has been amazed at how God has given church leaders the opportunity to share the gospel with media members and beyond. “In the conversation with Anderson Cooper, both before and after, we talked about the church, we talked about the Lord, I was sharing about my calling to the ministry and he was incredibly open to that conversation and incredibly genuine,” Fowler said. “It has given me a chance to share the gospel with people who don’t know the gospel well at all. I shared the gospel with a New York Times reporter, with an LA Times reporter, and with an AP reporter who already knew the gospel. We’ve had a good experience with the media. They’ve been very kind to us, and we’ve tried to be very kind to them.” Less than 48 hours after the storm, Fowler and the staff organized a Sunday morning prayer service at the damaged building. They prayed, sang hymns, and worshiped the Lord. For most FBC members, it was their first look at the torn city. “That was very hard,” Fowler said. “It was difficult to see the heartbroken looks on their faces. We were and are still learning how many of our people were affected, but many of our members showed up to pray and worship our great God.” FBC held a similar service a week later and church leaders are pondering how the congregation might continue to gather, perhaps in smaller groups, while the church is repaired, an effort that will take many months and millions of dollars. FBC Mayfield has survived much adversity since it first met in 1843 on the outskirts of town. A Deeply Personal Tragedy One week after deadly tornadoes rampaged across Western Kentucky, Mayfield looked like old photos from bombed out cities in World War II; it was as if a massive lawn mower sat and spun over the town during those horrific seconds. For summer 2022 47
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Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

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