Bethel Worship Leader Faces New Battle as California Fires Force Family to Evacuate Home
Just months after Bethel Worship Leader Joel Taylor and his family faced the scare of almost losing their children to a deadly disease, the worship pastor was forced to evacuate his home in Northern California as the nearby area is presently besieged by a giant wildfire.
Now the largest of 17 wildfires raging throughout California, the Carr fire poses a threat to Redding, California, where Taylor and his family live and they were asked to evacuate.
"The Taylor Fam evacuated our home in Redding on Thursday night to prepare for living in tight quarters for a long period of time without answers. All too familiar," the singer explained on Instagram Sunday.
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The Carr fire began in Shasta County near Redding last week. The blaze has consumed more than 103,000 acres of land and has continued to grow, complete with "firenados."
Taylor, his wife Janie and their two small children, Addie and Jaxon, grabbed their necessities and "fled at midnight." The father explained that they found a hotel and then headed to stay with his mother in her "little cottage" where he is reflecting on chaotic fires.
"I've been working remotely to ensure that our teams back home are okay and that Bethel Music and Bethel Media are stable during this time. Our Bethel leadership team is scattered all over the state, but doing an incredible job to catalyze relief efforts and make sure our employees and their families are taken care of during this time of crisis," he said.
Redding is also home to Taylor's home church, Bethel, a Christian ministry with thousands of members. Senior Pastor Bill Johnson shared a message on Sunday about the importance of grieving with those who have suffered losses due to the fires but said he is confident his city will be renewed.
"This [fire] will last for days; that [restoration] will last for years. And it's going to capture the attention of the region because the Lord will demonstrate Himself strong," he preached.
Taylor ended his social media post echoing his pastor's sentiment, "We've been through many trials and tribulations together and one thing I'm certain of: VICTORY. If God be for us, who can be against us!"
At the end of 2017, Taylor and his family found themselves facing another tragedy that they evaded. Their two small children battled a dangerous E. coli infection that they contracted during the holidays.
Jaxon was fighting a deadly E. coli infection that had shut down his kidneys and caused multiple life-threatening complications and just a few days later, Addie had contracted the same virus. Miraculously, both children fully recovered and by the end of January they were home safe and sound.
Taylor noted that the children will think evacuating their home due to the fires is just "a fun vacation."
