Sometimes an act of God is the summons to an act of faith, or so Pastor David E. Taylor, leader of Joshua Media Ministries International, believes. In September 2022, as Hurricane Ian barreled across the Atlantic Ocean leaving a swath of destruction in its wake, Pastor David Taylor heard the call.
Classified as a Category 4 hurricane, Ian was the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since Labor Day in 1935. As of Nov. 1, 2022, the hurricane’s recorded death toll reached 157 casualties. Florida suffered the vast majority of deaths, with others occurring in North Carolina, Virginia, and Cuba. Widespread power outages, compounded by crippling damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, resulted in a crisis situation.