When disaster strikes, ministry leaders are called to do the impossible—comfort the hurting, organize the chaos, and keep the faith when everything feels lost.

In times of crisis, people look for leaders who can help them through the storm. Local pastors play a unique role in their community when disasters strike. Dr. John Crowder has lived through and led the folks of West, TX, in recovery and renewal after a terrible tragedy. Out of his own experiences, he offers wisdom and guidance for those who face similar crises. Anchor Point will be the go-to resource for people of faith to be prepared in the face of disaster.

One of the greatest strengths of Anchor Point is how it lifts up concepts often overlooked. Crowder dispenses wisdom on important aspects of life and leadership which are seldom taught—like the “ministry of presence”—the art of simply being there when words fail. Or how to build a community that doesn't just survive but helps others recover, too. He reminds us that leadership after disaster isn’t about having all the answers, but about being an answer—present, compassionate, and rooted.

In 24 years of ministry, there is only one book besides the Bible I’ve told other ministers they need to have. Now, there are two. John Crowder’s Anchor Point is a master course for facing major disasters that provides principles transferrable to the more common tragedies that are part of every ministry. Every minister needs to be ready.

After the water subsided in South East Texas from the flooding caused by the unprecedented  rainfall of Hurricane Harvey, John Crowder came to visit me.  As we sat down and shared a meal with a common friend, Dr. Ron Cook, John helped me to shape the path forward for my ministry as a pastor in the midst of a community that was struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of this storm.

John offered me an intellectual, emotional and spiritual roadmap for my expectations for the various stages of ministering during a disaster.  I hung on every word he offered about his experience in 2013 with the explosion in West because I knew I needed to follow in the footsteps of someone who exemplified the love of Christ to touch and strengthen lives in a disaster recovery context.  

John’s experience in West, Texas proves to all of us that tragedy can happen anywhere.  The one thing any leader can do now is to prepare their heart and mind for leadership during a time of disaster.  Anchor Point is the best resource you will find to show you the terrain you will face as you navigate your community through the challenges of disaster recovery.  

Dr. Jason Burden

In Anchor Point, Dr. John Crowder, the veteran pastor of First Baptist Church in West, Texas, offers readers a fascinating and stirring insider’s account of the tragic West Fertilizer Plant explosion. Crowder does far more than that, however. He also provides invaluable practical counsel and uncommon Christian wisdom to ministers who may and must walk with church members and communities through the “valley of the shadow of death” and the crucible of suffering and loss. All the while, Crowder bears winsome and compelling witness to an unshakable belief that “God is a very present help in time of trouble.” It has often been suggested that one should never let a crisis go to waste. Pastor John Crowder certainly has not, and he can help you and those you are privileged to serve not to do so either.

How do you lead a community through disaster rescue , relief,  and recovery? I would encourage pastors and community leaders faced with this unwanted assignment to get with Dr. John Crowder as soon as possible. And now you can get his new book Anchor Point in the hands of every leader in your community.

When I was called upon to direct the ministry effectiveness center at Baylor University one of my first calls was to Pastor John Crowder, asking him to lead seminars to orient and equip pastors for such responses.  Dr. Crowder personally experienced the fertilizer warehouse explosion in West, Texas on April 17, 2013 losing his own home and most family belongings.  In this now necessary book he envelops with his own story leading through every phase of unfolding disaster and devastation. In doing so he presents the best guide available to date.