Five years after Hurricane Michael ravaged Florida’s Panhandle, Lighthouse Church in Panama City stands as a testament to perseverance. Lead Pastor Cole Bailey reflects on those challenging days with gratitude for CBN’s Operation Blessing, praising it as a powerful, life-changing force for good.
Scars from Hurricane Michael are still visible in Panama City Beach. Where the former Lighthouse Church building once stood, now there’s just a mere concrete slab that once supported a thriving congregation.
“When you’re in Florida, a Category 3 hurricane might not worry you – but when it escalated to a five, we knew it was serious and we evacuated,” said Pastor Bailey.
The first Category 5 storm to strike Florida’s Panhandle, Michael became the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. It claimed 59 lives and caused an estimated $25 billion in damage.
After 24 years of serving this community, Lighthouse Church lost its entire physical site to Hurricane Michael except for the ground it once stood on. The church’s foundation in faith, however, remained unshaken.
Pastor Cole Bailey, an Air Force veteran, brought his military experience to bear when Hurricane Michael devastated Panama City Beach. As pastor of Lighthouse Church, his leadership was instrumental in organizing the community
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