Interview with Sam Burleson
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Sam Burleson
Description
Sam Burleson, Lead Pastor of Covenant Community Church, was interviewed by Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections volunteer Ann McCutchan on September 30, 2025. This interview took place over Covenant Community Church and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Pastor Burleson recounts his personal experience and his church’s response to Helene, which included establishing The Village, a camper community to temporarily house families displaced by the storm. Burleson describes being trapped at home in Avery’s Creek due to fallen trees [00:02:29], communicating with his congregation using a mass texting service [00:10:03], and how the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church assisted with relief and recovery efforts [00:16:45]. He explains the conception and rapid development of The Village [00:24:23], the importance of partnerships with the local school systems and private funding sources [00:29:54], and future plans to explore permanent affordable housing on the site [00:37:45].
Portraits depict Sam Burleson in the entrance area of Covenant Community Church, November 18, 2025. Photos by Bill Green.
Pastor Burleson recounts his personal experience and his church’s response to Helene, which included establishing The Village, a camper community to temporarily house families displaced by the storm. Burleson describes being trapped at home in Avery’s Creek due to fallen trees [00:02:29], communicating with his congregation using a mass texting service [00:10:03], and how the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church assisted with relief and recovery efforts [00:16:45]. He explains the conception and rapid development of The Village [00:24:23], the importance of partnerships with the local school systems and private funding sources [00:29:54], and future plans to explore permanent affordable housing on the site [00:37:45].
Portraits depict Sam Burleson in the entrance area of Covenant Community Church, November 18, 2025. Photos by Bill Green.
Date
Rights
Interview materials copyright Sam Burleson and Buncombe County Special Collections. Photos copyright Bill Green Photography.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.002H
Extent
1 digital audio recording (00:49:27); 1 transcript (26 pages); 2 digital photographs
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
00:49:27
Interviewer
Ann McCutchan
Interviewee
Sam Burleson
Collection
Tags
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Sam Burleson,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed December 17, 2025, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1344.