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Episcopal congregation opens its doors to Texas community hit hardest by deadly floods

July 11, 2025

[Episcopal News Service] St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Kerrville, Texas, has been open daily this week for residents seeking a place for prayer as the community deals with shock and grief after the deadly July 4 flooding of the nearby Guadalupe River. At least 120 people are reported dead from the central Texas floods, most of them in Kerr County, and more than 160 others remained missing July 11 as emergency crews and volunteers continued to comb the wreckage and debris along the river in search of flood victims. Episcopalians have been encouraged to pray for the victims and donate to one of several relief funds. The Diocese of West Texas has launched a donation webpage, as has St. Peter’s, and other donations can be made to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Episcopal Relief & Development also is accepting donations to support relief efforts. Episcopal News Service sought comment from St. Peter’s staff and was told all inquiries were being handled by the Diocese of West Texas for now, to allow local leaders to tend to the needs of their congregation and community. The Rev. Bert Baetz, St. Peter’s rector, provided an update July 10 in an Instagram video. “We have been devastated by the July 4 floods here in the Hill Country, and we need your help,” Baetz said as he called for donations, volunteers and prayer. “Here at St. Peter’s we are committed to the long haul.” At the end of each day this week, his congregation has offered Evening Prayer or Holy Eucharist, and its Sunday worship schedule will continue, with services at 8 and 10 a.m. The church is just two blocks from the Guadalupe River, though the diocese told ENS that the flood did not severely damage the property. “God is with us in this devastation. God is with us in this valley, in the dark, and his light shines brightly,” Baetz said in his Instagram video. “The risen lord stood before his disciples and said, ‘I am with you always,’ and he is with us now. I thank God that you can be with us as we walk this road to recover together.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by St. Peter's Episcopal Church (@stpeterskerrville) The deadly disaster began unfolding early July 4 when a slow-moving storm brought heavy downpours to the region, dropping as much as 15 inches of rain on parts of Kerr County and causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 22 feet in a matter of hours, according to San Antonio Express-News. Among the dead are at least 27 children and adults at Camp Mystic, a Christian camp for girls located east of Kerrville along the Guadalupe River. Others from the camp are still among the missing. West Texas Bishop David Read visited St. Peter’s on July 7 and also released a written statement on the disaster. “The Kerrville community and St. Peter’s Church have been deeply impacted by the trauma and loss of life,” Read said. “Many in Kerrville, in our diocese and across Texas have personal connections to the missing campers and staff members. They are our relatives, classmates, friends and church family members. Our hearts ache.” Episcopal Relief & Development said it is working with the Diocese of West Texas to help get assistance to those in need. “Texans have experienced devastating disasters in the past decade, like the 2021 winter storm and Hurricane Harvey, and our heart goes out to them as they face tragedy once again,” Race Hodges, Episcopal Relief & Development program office, said in the agency’s news release. “We worked with our local partners through each of these major events to provide comfort and safety to many people. And we will continue to do so.” – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.