Does Your Church Have an Early Response Team? Anyone Interested in Early Response? There is aConference EARLY RESPONSE TRAINING event, Oct. 9

What: Early Response Training led by Bob Cate*

When: October 9, 2005 (Sunday), 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: New Chapel UMC in Springfield, Tennessee
(Hwy. 49 off I 24 --- Ashland City/Springfield exit)

For further information, call Tammy Adkins at 389-1734.

To register, call Vivian Cate at 516-4958

New Orleans pastor finds home, church, in ruins

The Rev. Chris Blanchard salvages communion chalices for his friend, the Rev. Darryl Tate, from Tate's parsonage in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The chalices, a gumbo pot and the top to Tate's wedding cake were all that could be salvaged from the home. Tate's church, St. Luke's United Methodist, sustained heavy damage. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

Sep. 29, 2005
By Kathy L. Gilbert*

NEW ORLEANS (UMNS)-When the Rev. Darryl Tate left his church and home to escape Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 27, he took enough clothes for a three-day trip.

What he packed that day is all he has left. On Sept. 27 - 30 days later - he was finally able to return home for a look at what was left.

"It looks like a bomb was dropped here," he says, surveying his Lakeview neighborhood.

"We kept a better yard than this," he says under his breath. He walks through thick black mud to try and open the front door of the parsonage, which serves St. Luke's United Methodist Church.

"It was a pretty little house, wasn't it?" he asks his friend, the Rev. Chris Blanchard, as the two stand outside the ruins. "I'm glad Carolyn isn't here to see this."

Blanchard, pastor of St. Charles United Methodist Church, is one of the "lucky ones." His church is still standing and is being used as a relief staging point. On this hot September day, volunteer work crews from his church are busy cutting tree limbs and cleaning up in another part of New Orleans.

Today, Blanchard is there to offer pastoral support to his friend. Carolyn, Tate's wife, had one request for her husband when he went back home. "She wants her gumbo pot."

Blanchard advises Tate to stay outside as he goes into the kitchen to look for the pot. He comes out with the pot, a couple of chalices and the top to their wedding cake. Nothing else can be salvaged.

Tate looks around his backyard. A picnic table that isn't his stands upside-down. An old wooden handmade swing he got 22 years ago hangs lopsided on part of the carport. His white car, with a "United Methodist Pastor" plate on the front, is painted with mud. The water line on his house looks like it would extend beyond the roof if it had someplace to go.

"There's our barbecue pit," he says. "When you are a pastor, you don't make much money. The things you have you are proud of because you sacrificed to be able to buy them for your family."

Tate, like many other people in New Orleans, is living in a part of town that is not supposed to flood, so he has no flood insurance. Renter's insurance covers his personal belongings.

Driving from the church to his parsonage, he passes two houses spray-painted with a code indicating a dead body was recovered. The military hasn't made it down Tate's street yet to check for bodies.

St. Luke's Church

To get to St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Tate has to pass a checkpoint set up by the police. He explains he is going to see his church, and the friendly officer says, "Go slow. If you run into any trouble, call us."

Pulling up to the church, the only color one sees is brown. Everything is dead. Brown grass, brown plants, brown trees cover the church grounds.

"There goes $10,000 worth of landscaping," Tate says, looking around.

A banner still hangs in front of the church entrance. Tate reads it aloud as he heads for the front doors: "Welcome: A Place for You."

As soon as the door opens, the smell jumps out and hits like a physical blow. Tate moves up the stairs to the choir loft to survey his sanctuary. Purple pew cushions block the front entrance; the piano and organ are upside-down. Sunlight streams through the beautiful stained-glass windows and sends lovely red and blue lights through the destroyed church.

Mold has devoured everything on the flood-soaked first floor. There is nothing left to save here. The water from the broken levee had no regard for anything, not even the cheerful poster painted by loving hands outside the nursery that says, "The School Bell Rings at St. Luke's."

"Fellowship Hall is full of mold," Tate notes. Upstairs, things look better. Inside his office, Tate finds his Bible, his clerical robes and some precious photos and his hard-won clergy credentials.

"I really didn't think I would have anything to take," he says, as he gathers as much as he can. On one wall is a clock that stopped at 9:32 a.m. on Sept. 27. "That is exactly the time we left," he says.

Displaced pastors

Tate is one of the more than 90 displaced pastors from Orleans Parish. Bishop William Hutchinson has assigned him to be director of the Louisiana Conference Storm Recovery Center.

Sitting in the office a day before Hurricane Rita is scheduled to hit the beleaguered state, Tate tells his story.

"I had come to the conclusion that I just wasn't going to leave," he says. "I told my wife I thought we could just weather the storm in our house." But as reports kept getting bleaker he changed his mind.

At a prayer service he held at his church Aug. 27, he questioned all the people there about where they were going. Most had already packed their cars and were ready to leave. Evelyn Brandon, a recent widow, wasn't going to leave.

Tate and his wife begged her to change her mind and offered her the hotel reservations they had for a room in Houston. She finally decided to leave. Tate is not sure everyone else did.

Brandon is safe and now back in her home. She and Tate have a tearful reunion after he sees the church and his home.

"I thought I would never see you again," she says, hugging him. They discuss plans to have a church service at Haven United Methodist Church at 5 p.m. on Oct. 9.

"People need to get back into church," she says.

"This will be a service for the people of St. Luke's," Tate assures her. "I need to get back to preaching."

While dealing with the upheaval caused by the storm, Tate gets some good news. On Aug. 31, two days after Katrina hit New Orleans, he had been scheduled for a medical procedure to remove a malignant tumor. On a later visit to doctors in Baton Rouge, he learns the tumor has disappeared.

"We Methodists are praying people," he says. "That's the power of prayer."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Louisiana bishop predicts huge financial toll on churches

Ruined furnishings from First United Methodist Church in Slidell, La., are piled in front of the church following Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 29. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.








Sep. 27, 2005

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS) - The toll from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is going to be significant for the Louisiana Annual Conference, according to Bishop William Hutchinson.

"There is not a single church in New Orleans Parish that has not been impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and now some have been hit again by Rita," Hutchinson said at a Sept. 26 meeting of Baton Rouge District pastors.

More than 90 pastors are without congregations, and the conference will need to pay their salaries plus a few other basic needs, he said. Destroyed churches cannot take up collections, he noted.

"In the worst-case scenario, over the next four months, the conference will need to pay out $1.1 million," he said. "That is a huge undertaking which the conference does not have in reserve funds." If pastors are not able to get churches rebuilt and their salaries have to be paid in 2006, the cost will rise to $3.3 million, he said.

Having more than 90 churches unable to pay salaries for their pastors also means those congregations will be unable to pay apportionments to the conference, he said. For the rest of 2005, that will mean a $700,000 shortfall, plus an additional $1.7 million if churches still cannot pay anything in 2006.


The third large impact the conference faces is the cost of insurance deductibles for church property in New Orleans Parish, which is valued at more than $100 million. Complicating the problem is that many of the district records were destroyed in the flood caused by Hurricane Katrina and "many churches have disappeared." Finding records of insurance and property values will be challenging, he said.

The Louisiana Conference has set up a special bishop's appeal to pay for the shortfalls and pastor salaries, Hutchinson said. The United Methodist Committee on Relief does not deal with churches or pastor's salaries, he explained. UMCOR's money goes to humanitarian relief for communities affected by the hurricanes.

"We are asking churches in Louisiana to please direct funds to the bishop's appeal if possible," Hutchinson said.

Other conferences are beginning to place pastors, but they will not pay their salaries, he said. The Texas Conference is providing placement for 14 pastors and will provide housing, utilities, clothing, etc. for the pastors.

The North Texas, Oklahoma and North Georgia conferences have also placed some of Louisiana's displaced pastors. The Louisiana Conference's Storm Recovery Center in Baton Rouge is using displaced pastors to run the disaster relief efforts.

The impact of Hurricane Rita on other parts of the state is being assessed, Hutchinson said. Despite the bad economic news, he told the pastors many churches and individuals from around the world have sent money to Louisiana.

Nanci Youngblood, a volunteer in the Storm Recovery Center, said "hearts are broken over the church for South Louisiana."

"We have had some incredible offers from people who want to help," she said. "The beauty of the United Methodist connection is working."

The Rev. Don Cottrill, conference provost, said it would take five years at a minimum to recover fully from the storms. "We can't even start relief efforts for some of our churches yet because we can't get into the areas."

Cottrill said the Rev. Tom Hazlewood, UMCOR disaster response executive, predicted donations will top the $40 million collected by the agency after the Dec. 26 tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean. However, only about 30 percent or less of the money coming in will go to Louisiana, he said.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," Cottrill said. "We are building the boat while we are still in it."

Response to the needs of churches from pastors in the state has been "overwhelmingly positive," Hutchinson said. "The church has been the church."

Hutchinson said there is a song he has been living with for the last few weeks based on Psalm 29. "God rides above the storm, giving peace to his people."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

UMCOR Tip for Volunteers: Make 'AIST,' Not Haste

Volunteers thinking of travel to Port Arthur, New Orleans, or Gulfport to help with hurricane relief should think before they act, say disaster response officials at United Methodist Committee on Relief.

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina swept through these areas Sept. 24 and Aug. 29, erasing whole towns and flooding low-lying areas for miles inland.

Rule Number One: "Don't become part of the disaster" by just showing up, cautioned Kristin L. Sachen, UMCOR Emergency Services Office head. It pays to act with "AIST, not haste," she said. AIST is an acronym that can guide volunteers who want to work effectively in relief efforts.

A-Affiliate with a national disaster response group like UMCOR early response teams or United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.

I-Have a specific Invitation to work. Volunteers who enter a disaster zone without a plan add to the burdens of the community already in trauma.

S-Know where your specific Setting, or assignment, will be. Volunteers can be most effective when they are going to an agreed-upon work area that is ready to receive them and supervise their efforts.

T-Train for response. Those without training may not be equipped to handle the emotional impact of loss and need they will see in hurricane-devastated areas. UMCOR early response teams and leaders of UMVIM teams receive intensive training.

There may be plenty for volunteers to do in their local churches to support the relief effort. Packing health kits, assembling school kits, boxing up bedding, and arranging for shipment are critical tasks early in an emergency response.

"The greatest gaps for volunteers to fill often happen after the cameras stop rolling," said the Rev. Mary Gaudreau, UMCOR consultant from the Oklahoma Annual Conference. That may mean later in the long-term recovery process-allowing dedicated volunteers to get the training they need to be effective responders.

United Methodists can contact their Volunteer in Mission coordinators for more information. A list of these coordinators is available on the web at http://gbgm-umc.org/vim/vimcoords.htm or write Mission Volunteers at voluntrs@gbgm-umc.org to learn more.

Cash gifts will help UMCOR continue to support work of volunteers, annual conferences and interfaith response efforts in the Gulf Coast disaster area as well as other vulnerable regions of the world. Checks can be mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. One hundred percent of every donation to any appeal, including the Hurricane Rita appeal, UMCOR Advance #901323, goes to support recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken regions.

United Methodist Giving to Hurricane Katrina Relief Exceeds $7 Million

New York, NY, September 26, 2005-United Methodist cash contributions to Hurricane Katrina relief and rehabilitation have passed the $7 million mark.

The figure represents online, telephone, and mail donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), as of the morning of September 26, according to Roland Fernandes, treasurer of the General Board of Global Ministries. UMCOR is part of the international mission agency.
|
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi on August 29, after earlier hitting south Florida. The new contribution figure, slightly more than $7 million, does not include amounts given in direct response to Hurricane Rita, which struck along the Louisiana-Texas border on September 24. Donations to Hurricane Rita relief can also be made.

Gifts may be designated for work in the wake of either Katrina or Rita or for where they are most needed in the region. Donors making gifts by internet or telephone may select one or the other or both. This is also true of gifts by check.

UMCOR is providing two giving numbers through The Advance for Christ and His Church. Checks should be made out to: UMCOR. Please list in the memo area of the check "UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 - Katrina" or "UMCOR Advance #901323 Hurricane Rita." Contributions may also be designated for a specific state affected by the hurricanes.

Tax-deductible gifts may be placed in any United Methodist church offering plate or mailed directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Credit card donations are also being taken by phone at 1-800-554-8583. The online giving address is: www.methodistrelief.org.

Participant Liability Release Form for Emergency Response Teams

Participant Liability Release Form. Emergency response team leaders need to have signed copies of this document from each member of the response team. This constitutes the agreement as a volunteer and each individuals understanding of their working relationship as a volunteer with The Tennessee Conference.

Click below to go directly the the website containing the release form:

http://tnumc.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=333&EXPAND=333

Opening Your Doors: A United Methodist Response to Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

Dear Friend of UMCOR:

United Methodist Committee on Relief is offering guidelines to communities thinking of hosting evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Adapted from the Mennonite Central Committee, the guidelines will assist you as you pray about, plan for, and invite evacuees to become part of your community.

UMCOR believes it takes an entire community to make an effective response.
Individual sponsorship may unintentionally overlook the needs of evacuees for community in a time of difficulty and uncertainty. We hope our guidelines will help you work through the details of a big decision with flexibility, openness, an attentive ear, and mindfulness.

Bishops will receive a three-page print copy of the guidelines, which may be reproduced and shared widely. Guidelines and other resources to help, like questionnaires for churches and evacuees, are also available by visiting us online at umcor.org. Look for the tagline "Opening Your Doors." Or click on this link: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/05/opendoors.cfm.

Thank you for your generous hearts in ministry on behalf of all the people of the United Methodist Church to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In faith,

Paul Dirdak
Executive Director, UMCOR
Deputy General Secretary
General Board of Global Ministries
United Methodist Committee On Relief
Health & Welfare
Mission Volunteers
475 Riverside Drive Ste. 330
New York NY 10115
Tel: 212/870-3816
Fax: 212/870-3624

Opening Your Doors
Tips For Congregations That May Host Evacuees

Hospitality Guidelines from UMCOR
Remember, It Takes a Community
Network
Think, Pray, Plan
Find Adequate Housing
Listen, Listen, Listen
Educate Yourselves
Get It In Writing
Expect the Unexpected
To Assure Availability of Services, Help the Families You Host Register With FEMA

Remember, It Takes a Community

Form a Committee
Before any decisions are made regarding hosting evacuees, form a committee among interested persons to work together. Hosting evacuees should be a community effort. UMCOR does not recommend individuals sponsoring evacuees. Evacuees belonged to a community before Hurricane Katrina. Now, they will need a new community to support them.

Evaluate Resources
Have a meeting to determine community interests and assets. Make a schedule for future meetings – determine if people are willing to commit for 18-24 months or longer. Share available information, or ask persons to find out:
• What is available within the group? Furnishings, visiting, transportation, primary contact person, etc.
• What is available from the church? Benevolence fund for rental, initial welcome, counseling services, etc.
• What is available from your local community? Clothing bank, food bank, temp agencies, job listings, etc.
• What is available from local government agencies? Public assistance, medical coverage, application processes, etc.
• What is already happening in your community that you could support? Relatives hosting families, a Red Cross or other shelter, etc.

Network

Start contacting reputable “clearinghouse” agencies.

Check UMCOR website for updates.

Many agencies are working on evacuation questions – check other websites.

There may be an opportunity to register your interest in hosting with one of the annual conference disaster recovery offices supported by UMCOR in its goal of long-term recovery. When these offices are set up they may be able to refer evacuees to your congregation. Stay tuned for future developments!

Think, Pray, Plan

Be prepared for uncertainties and difficulties. Take time to think, pray and plan. Hurricane survivors may need extra time to make major decisions. Evacuating to a new place – new city , new state – is a major decision.

Hosting an evacuee is a major decision. Be flexible, be open, and listen to the wisdom of those who are experiencing this.

Find Adequate Housing

Strongly consider renting separate housing rather than “living in”. “Living in” can be extremely stressful for hosts and guests. Guests are traumatized, hosts are eager. Both need their space. Cultural practices may be different.
Ask the broader church or community for assistance to locate adequate rental housing. Be sure you have a rental agreement that is written, agreed to and signed by all parties.

Listen, Listen, Listen

After evacuees arrive, share responsibilities among at least 4 or 5 persons– see “It Takes a Community” above for ideas.

Find your best listeners and assign them to do just that—listen to evacuees and hosting constituents.

Assign persons to accompany evacuees, if needed, to social service agencies and government agencies.

Be particularly alert to service providers who might demean adult evacuees by treating them as children. Let them select what they need from you. Offer a menu.

Don’t push a job search until evacuees are feeling safe, secure, and able. Assist in due time and as appropriate.

Educate Yourselves

Remember that evacuees will be traumatized with differing levels of symptoms. Educate yourself on what to expect, educate your church, and educate the evacuee. Identify a good listener who seems to connect with the evacuee to be the one to help with finding a counselor when needed. If there is a family, each member needs a good listener. Think through rules of confidentiality for the listeners. For guidelines visit www.stephenministries.org.

Get It In Writing

The relationship between host and evacuee should be in writing. Church World Service has an application for both. Use that, or develop your own. Get the PDF files by clicking the website addresses listed below.
Questionnaire for Congregations Offering Hospitality
http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/misc/Katrina%20Questionnaire%20for%20Congregations%20090605.pdf
Questionnaire for Displaced Person(s) Needing Hospitality
http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/misc/Katrina%20Questionnaire%20for%20Displaced%20Persons%20090605.pdf


Expect the Unexpected

Do not expect the evacuees to be United Methodist. Find out if they would like to attend their faith services, invite them to your church, respect them if they do not want to attend church at all. Realize they may be having serious questions about their faith, and that church services can be emotional and they may not be ready for that.

Be flexible and open. This is a humanitarian response, the goal isn’t to find new members or best friends for your congregations. While it would be wonderful, it is not the goal.

To Assure Availability of Services, Help the Families You Host Register With FEMA
UMCOR is not processing referrals for evacuee resettlement at this time. When the long-term recovery offices of the affected annual conferences are established, this kind of referral may be an option.

If you are in an annual conference located in an area receiving large numbers of evacuees into shelters, collaborate with those shelters. Perhaps you could organize the referral process. Maybe they have one already.

If evacuees are being placed into your state, urge your State Office of Emergency Management to apply for a “federal declaration” if they haven’t already in order that the evacuees can be eligible for housing and other benefits from FEMA. Many other services are not available to them until they have registered with FEMA – be sure to help them do that before they come to you if your state is not yet “federally declared.” Find out about your state at www.fema.gov.

Adapted from Mennonite Central Committee


Hurricane Katrina evacuees stay in Sunday school classrooms at First United Methodist Church in Dumas, Ark. From left to right are Adlay Callahan, Farrah Boudreaux, Kimberly Boudreaux and Frederick Boudreaux III, all of New Orleans. Credit:Jane Dennis/UMNS




ADDITIONAL UMCOR INFORMATION

How You Can Help

Give:
Your generous gift to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global, will help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. You can give online at www.methodistrelief.org, at your church, over the phone at 1-800-554-8583, or by mailing a check directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Checks should be written to UMCOR with the Advance number and name written on the memo line of your check. If you would prefer that your funds to go to recovery in a specific region, please note that on your donation.

Send:
There is an urgent need for both health kits and school kits. These collections of everyday items will help families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The health kits contain items such as a toothbrush, wash cloth, and soap. The school kits contain items like paper, pencils, and items to help children start school. For assembly and shipping instructions, call UMCOR Sager Brown at 1-800-814-8765 or visit the UMCOR website. You may also give a financial donation to to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440 to purchase kit supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble health kits and school kits.

Go:
Volunteers will be needed to help in Hurricane Katrina recovery. To find out how you can help with hurricane cleanup, contact your United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Jurisdictional Coordinator. A list of these coordinators is available on the web at http://gbgm-umc.org/vim/vimcoords.htm or write Mission Volunteers at voluntrs@gbgm-umc.org for contact information. They will provide details on creating and training a team as well as scheduling details. For information on what disaster sites are currently scheduling volunteers, call the Volunteer Hotline at 800-918-3100.

Russian seminary symbolizes United Methodist vision, service

This renovated kindergarten building in the heart of a residential neighborhood is now the United Methodist Center in Moscow. The facility, dedicated Sept. 10, houses the Russia United Methodist Seminary, the bishop's office and the Central United Methodist Church. The facility symbolizes new vision and service by United Methodists to contributing to the spiritual renewal of the former Soviet Union. A UMNS photo by Sue Calvin.


Sep. 19, 2005
By Sue Calvin*

MOSCOW (UMNS) - Compared to the city's opulent, historic Orthodox cathedrals and monasteries, the new Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary may appear unassuming.

On the contrary, the seminary symbolizes the United Methodist Church's commitment and vision for the spiritual renewal of the former Soviet Union.

More than 100 pastors, students and visitors attended a daylong Sept. 10 dedication event in Moscow, organized by seminary President Tobias Dietze. During an opening worship service in the Edwards Chapel, the seminary choir led the congregation in praise, and presiding Bishop Hans Vaxby described the dedication as "a day of joy and hope."

The seminary needs to be "a place for both theological information and spiritual formation," so it will be professional and pastoral, he said.

Vaxby thanked God "for every person who gave a dollar or prayed for a minute for the Russian seminary and the Russian people. When God is behind something, it will happen. Our calling is to share the graceful message of Jesus Christ to a nation needing to hear."


The day also marked the installation of the first Russian professor, the Rev. Sergei Nikolaev, to the Ruediger and Gerlinde Minor Chair. In accepting his new responsibility, Nikolaev emphasized "Christian love as central to the evangelistic task." Funded by the Foundation for Evangelism, the chair also honors the tradition of Methodist evangelist E. Stanley Jones.

A panel response to Nikolaev's lecture concluded the program. Speaking on "The Future of Theological Education" were the Rev. Robin Lovin of Southern Methodist University, Dallas, the Rev. Norman DeWire of Methodist Theological School of Ohio, and the Rev. Donald E. Messer of the Iliff School of Theology, Denver.

Conversations in the seminary's multipurpose room revealed its importance to Russians. Rose Tju, a seminary student serving a parish, remarked "there would be no Methodist Church in Russia without the seminary."

"Like a mother who nurtures and feeds her children, the seminary feeds the church," said the Rev. Nina Smirnova, a Russian pastor.

The seminary's dedication climaxed a 14-year journey encumbered by governmental regulations and unreliable contractors but guided by faith, vision and prayer.

In 1991, Bishop Ruediger Minor, then leader of the church's Eurasia Area, told the Council of Bishops about the immediate need for leadership training and theological education for Russians. Trained people were needed to serve the churches springing up in the country of 150 million people and spanning 11 time zones.

The appeal led to consultations among representatives of churchwide agencies and seminary representatives from the Iliff School of Theology with Minor, pastors and other Russian leaders.

The first classes began in 1995, in two cramped, rented classrooms that served as the seminary until last February. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries provided a $750,000 grant to buy a former kindergarten building. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry provided $250,000 to begin renovation.

The Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary Advisory Committee launched a capital campaign in 2000. Led by Minor, Messer and Bishop Marion Edwards, the campaign has raised $2.7 million. In addition, the Foundation for Evangelism has established a $1 million endowment fund for the Bishop Ruediger and Garlinde Minor Professorship.

Escalating inflation and construction costs, coupled with the long Russian winters, slowed the renovation. Meanwhile, the task of preparing indigenous leadership for Russian United Methodist churches progressed uninterrupted.

In just more than a decade, 110 churches with a total of about 5,000 members have been established. To date, 77 students have graduated from the seminary. Of those, 55 have an appointment. Thirty-four are ordained elders, and the others are probationers. There are 10 resident students and about 40 students in the distance-learning program.

The newly renovated facility houses the seminary and provides office space for the bishop and worship space for Central United Methodist Church. The third floor of the building, providing student housing, is not yet complete. Two Volunteers-in-Mission teams, one from the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia conferences and one from the Virginia Conference, will travel to Moscow this fall to continue the work.

"Support for the seminary has been heartwarming," Messer said. "Gifts and pledges have come from over 981 local churches, 15 annual conferences, 13 districts and 118 individuals, in addition to church agencies."

The financial situation remains critical. Money that was earmarked for equipment and furnishings had to be used for construction. Both the Board of Global Ministries and the Board of Higher Education and Ministry made emergency loans to the seminary because of escalating construction costs. During the last quadrennium, significant operating costs were covered by the Fund for Theological Education for Post-Communist Europe. By action of the 2004 General Conference, those funds are no longer available.

"For the United Methodist presence to grow in Russia, guided by educated leaders, additional funding must be immediately forthcoming," Messer said. "Indigenous education and evangelism must go hand in hand together for the church to thrive and serve."

Gifts may be given through any local church or sent to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068. Gifts can be given to the Russia United Methodist Seminary through three Advance Specials: No. 12173N, "Russian Seminary Building Fund"; No. 12174A, "Russian Seminary Operating Fund"; and No. 12176B, "Russian Seminary Scholarship Fund."

*Calvin is a freelance writer in Denver.

Commentary: We must rebuild on a rock of justice

Chester Jones, UMNS photo by Mike Dubois



September 16, 2005

"To be poor in America was to be invisible, but not after this week, not after those images of the bedraggled masses at the Superdome, convention center and airport. No one can claim that the . . . orthodoxy of low taxes and small government, which does wonders for the extremely rich, also inevitably does wonders for the extremely poor. What was that about a rising tide lifting all boats? What if you don't have a boat?"
--Eugene Robinson, columnist, The Washington Post, 9/09/05

A UMNS Commentary
by the Rev. Chester Jones*

I have been glued to the TV in recent weeks, watching the crisis in the storm-ravaged cities of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama unfold. Hurricane Katrina's destruction and devastation have spared few. The pain and loss so many people are experiencing are unfathomable.

As Katrina demolished the beautiful coastline and the rising waters covered the historic city of New Orleans, a harsh reality was exposed. This reality was not caused entirely by the hurricane. It was, instead, the impact racism and classism have on our society - a reality that was present long before the high winds and rising waters.

So often, the Commission on Religion and Race staff hears questions and comments expressing doubt about the impact of racism in today's society. Cross burnings have become rare (though unfortunately, do still occur); blatant racism is considered unacceptable in the public sphere; and instituionalized segregation is illegal. Yet, after watching TV during the past few weeks, it is impossible to deny that racism still rears its ugly head.

As Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners, said, "Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster."

To be sure, racism alone is not to blame for this social disaster; poverty certainly plays a large role. But all to often, the lenses of poverty and race overlap. The area hit by Hurricane Katrina has some of the highest poverty levels in the country. New Orleans has a poverty rate of 28 percent. Of that, 86 percent are black. While so many people have been hurt by this disaster, people of color and the poor have suffered disproportionately.

There has been much criticism of the city, state and federal government for their slow response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Our society and the church also must take some responsibility. One thing has been made clear to all of us: there is a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots. The tragedy of the storm left the tragedy of injustice and inequity clearly exposed. We as a church and as a larger society must renew our commitment to the struggles of those who are left behind because of their race, class, age, gender or other reasons.

The ones left behind are subjected to injustice, prejudice and oppression. They were left behind simply because they are the least of many. And this reality must call our church to long-term action on behalf of justice and equity.

It would be good for us to remember that when the disciples were discussing with one another who was the greatest among them, Jesus broke into their conversation to say: "If anyone wants to be first, that someone must be the last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). For Jesus, service, not rank or privilege, is the mark of greatness. THe service to which we are called must extend beyond racial and socioeconomic borders.

The sorrow and exasperation of residents affected by the storm have been immense. This sorrow has spread across the country, sparing no one. The sorrow, anguish, and grief Jesus experienced on the cross were so severe that Jesus' human nature cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This same cry has been heard from the survivors in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many feel forsaken by God.

But it is their nation and their brothers and sisters who have forsaken them. I have read the stories of Jamaican immigrants, working on Mississippi's casino ships, whose visas only allow for work in the casinos. They are stranded, stuck without enough money to get home. I have seen the faces of poor black families, stranded in New Orleans because they did not own a car or have enough money to evacuate. I have heard the cry of the Hispanic baby whose family, in the country illegally, is scared to leave home in Biloxi, Miss., to get supplies because of the influx of law enforcement in the area. I have been told of Native American tribal lands, where water and assistance have yet to arrive.

The lesson that we must learn form Hurricane Katrina is the lesson given in the Bible about the "wise man who built his house on a rock." (Matthew 7:24). We must be wise enough to go now and rebuild cities like New Orleans, Biloxi, Waveland, Miss., Mobile, Ala., and other places destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and rebuild them with a just foundation. Justice must serve as our rock.

We will rebuild these cities on strong foundations to withstand nature, but this foundation must be provided for all residents, regardless of their econimic status or racial-ethnic identity. We have the gift of opportunity to truly see the reality left behind in the wake of the storm. It is a reality that does not reflect God's call for justice.

We have the opportunity now to resurrect and rebuild the walls and levees around cities along the Gulf Coast. These levees must be strong enough to hold back the waters of hurricanes and the waters of injustice. This means honestly looking at the bureaucratic and institutional racism exposed. It means ensuring evacuation plans truly provide for everyone. Free public transportation is vital for those fleeing in the face of emergencies.

It means economically and racially integrating our neighborhoods. We must not allow the poor to be pushed out and made invisible in our cities. We must ensure that everyone lives on high ground. There is much work to be done in order that we do not forsake our brothers and sisters again.

The diversity and complexity of these problems should strengthen our resolve to meet the challenges we face, to break down the barriers of race, age, language, gender and class that we have built to separate nations, races and families from one another.

I pray to GOd that we will chose as a denomination to work through the United Methodist Committee on Relief in meeting the immediate needs of those affected, but also that we will not just meet people's immediate needs. We must make a long-term commitment to see those who have been invisible in our society. We must work to elinate the racism and classism that infest our society and its structures.

We must rebuild on the rock of justice and equity for all people.

*Jones is top staff executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

Connectional system 'works' in recovery, pastors say

Sep. 13, 2005

A UMNS Report
By Woody Woodrick*

Electrical wires and telephones lines might have been lost in the hours and days following Hurricane Katrina, but the United Methodist connection was up and working.

Two pastors in Laurel, Miss., which saw hundreds of trees fall across homes and power lines, say the connectional system of the United Methodist Church gave them aid and hope when other organizations couldn't.

"One thing that was so amazing in trying to find help has been our connectional system," said the Rev. Roy Pearson, of West Laurel United Methodist Church.

"The connectional system works," said the Rev. Don Patterson of First United Methodist Church.

Clergy are all right

Mississippi Bishop Hope Morgan Ward extended a word of thanks for that connectional system in a message to the United Methodist Council of Bishops. She reported that all of the clergy in the storm-struck areas of Mississippi have been contacted.

"We give thanks that we have now been in touch with all the clergy of the Mississippi Conference and report that we know of none who have been injured by the wind and water of Katrina," Ward said in a message to the council.

"There has been loss of life in several of our destroyed churches where members and neighbors sought refuge from the wind and water," she said. "We are creating teams of clergy to surround each impacted pastor with support and care."

She thanked the bishops for the care they have extended to the conference, which comprises 1,160 congregations. She cited the provision of RVs for housing displaced clergy. "As these temporary homes continue to arrive, there is great relief and thanksgiving," she said.

Caring for internally displaced families is a huge challenge, she said. "Thank you for your offerings of shelter and long-term housing," she said.


"I continue to be amazed at the patience and perseverance of the laity and clergy of the Mississippi Conference," she said in her message. "These are times that try us - days without electricity, cell service, land lines, water - and yet there is (an) overwhelming sense of the enormity of the disaster and the need for cooperation and helpfulness."

Help from Florida

In Laurel, Pearson contributed to the connection in the days following the storm. The hurricane-force winds hit this town, more than 100 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, on Aug. 29. Downed trees blocked Pearson from leaving his neighborhood for two days. Pearson's parsonage had moderate damage from a falling tree.

When he finally arrived at his church, Pearson found it had electricity and telephone service. Most of Jones County did not.

After checking on church members, Pearson began calling area churches and pastors to check on their condition and needs. Soon, however, he was on the receiving end of calls from all over the country offering assistance. As he thankfully accepted offers, Pearson also began leading his church in aiding those in the community. The church cooked meals and served as a distribution center for supplies.

The first work team to arrive came from the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches in Florida. Pearson said the church's pastor, the Rev. David McEntire, counseled him both personally and about dealing with the disaster. McEntire's church in West Palm Beach had been through hurricanes itself.

The Florida team offered help in running the distribution center and kitchen and with debris cleanup. Patti Aupperlee of West Palm Beach said she began organizing the trip as soon as she heard how hard the storm had hit. She e-mailed the Rev. Jeff Pruett, Mississippi Conference coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, asking where she could help. He suggested Laurel.

The team from Florida spent almost a week in Laurel before leaving Sept. 9.

"None of us thought about it," Aupperlee said. "If we had, we wouldn't have done it. It has been such a blessing to be here. God truly paved the way."

Joint efforts

Assistance also came to West Laurel United Methodist Church from Hollandale, Miss., in the form of Buck Furr. A member of Hollandale United Methodist Church, Furr had told his pastor, Sam Dodd, that if someone needed help, Furr would provide it. While checking on his aunt in Mobile, Ala., following the storm, Furr got a call asking him to go to Laurel. He arrived and led a group of men from First Church in Alabaster, Ala., that cut downed trees.

First Church Laurel followed a similar path. Patterson, the pastor, said his members delivered meals to those who couldn't get out (150-200 per day), acted as a distribution center, housed 50 deputies from other states who had come to assist in law enforcement, and helped set up a medical clinic for those dependent on oxygen to breathe.

The clinic and other efforts have been part of joint efforts with nearby Episcopal and Presbyterian churches. Patterson also cited churches from across the nation that have sent aid or plan to send work teams.

Not all of the aid has come from out of state. Patterson said several churches in towns that weren't hit have provided aid.

Patterson said the ordeal has brought out the best in his congregation. "This congregation has pulled together," he said. "They're not just doing the gospel; they are the gospel to this community. All of the spiritual gifts have emerged."

Kim Wheat stepped in to keep the work organized.

"Our church is downtown, so we're in the middle of every community," she said. "This is the first time in the seven years I've been part of this church (that) I've seen every part of our community walk through the doors."

For example, Wheat said Hispanic families have come to the church seeking help. If language becomes a barrier, church workers take the families into the storage area and let them point at items they need.

"We can't wait for Sunday to invite our extended community," Wheat continued. "We're within walking distance of communities we don't serve as a church on a regular basis. Now we can do that."

Donations to support the United Methodist response to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy can be made online at www.methodistrelief.org and by phone at (800) 554-8583. Checks can be written to UMCOR, designated for "Hurricanes 2005 Global," Advance No. 982523, and left in church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.

*Woodrick is editor of the Mississippi Advocate, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Mississippi Annual Conference.

A Message from Mississippi Bishop Hope Morgan Ward

Bishop Dick Wills shares this note sent by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward to the Council of Bishops. It will help you understand the situation in Mississippi a little better.

Dear friends in the Council of Bishops,

Mike and I have been overwhelmed by the loving care extended by the Council of Bishops to the Mississippi Conference. Thank you for every contact and offer of assistance. You are a means of grace to the 180,000 United Methodist people in 1160 congregations here. We hope that this message will answer collectively many of the questions you have about the emerging response to the ongoing crisis in LA, AL, and MS.

We give thanks that we have now been in touch with all the clergy of the Mississippi Conference and report that we know of none who have been injured by the wind and water of Katrina. There has been loss of life in several of our destroyed churches where members and neighbors sought refuge from the wind and water. We are creating teams of clergy to surround each impacted pastor with support and care. Ministry continues in amazing ways and in surprising places.

RV's have been found and donated to house clergy who are displaced from their homes. We are grateful to those of you in close proximity who have acted quickly to help us meet this immediate need. As these temporary homes continue to arrive, there is great relief and thanksgiving.

The salaries of all clergy will be paid without interruption regardless of the devastation to the local church and the scattering of congregations. MS was the first conference to join PACT and our ministries are protected in the short range with coverage for initial expenses, including destroyed offices (computers, books, robes, etc) and ministry support, including salaries. We have established a conference advance for the needs of churches with scattered congregations and impacted clergy and damaged facilities. We anticipate great need for local church support, including clergy compensation, during the long-range time of recovery.

Communications infrastructure has been devastated by the storm and the use of the toll-free number at the Marion Edwards Recovery Center in NC has made possible the initial connections of gifts and needs.

You continue to offer help in a variety of wonderful ways. Please check www.mississippi-umc.org <http://www.mississippi-umc.org/> web page so that you can inform others in regard to volunteers, donations, work teams and emerging needs. It is our hope to connect what is offered and what is needed as efficiently as possible.

A huge challenge is the care of internally displaced families in all our communities. Thank you for your offerings of shelter and long-term housing. Often families can be reunited if they have the resources to get to their destination. One Jackson congregation has organized a team of people to visit with those housed in the Coliseum here and to ask the simple question, "Do you have family and friends you seek to reach?" The answer is often yes, and the offer of transportation is the greatest gift we can give. The screening of families for relocation across the country is beyond our capacity and the capacity of FEMA and others at this time. We are keeping a record of each offer of hospitality you have extended. Pray with us for creative solutions to this pressing, urgent need. By some estimates, there are 500,000 internally displaced persons in MS (population: 3 million) who fled Louisiana before, during, and after Katrina.

I continue to be amazed at the patience and perseverance of the laity and clergy of the Mississippi Conference. These are times that try us - days without electricity, cell service, land lines, water - and yet there is overwhelming sense of the enormity of the disaster and the need for cooperation and helpfulness. Next door from our conference office, the fellowship hall of Galloway UMC has been transformed into a maternity ward and six families with newborns, including one family with twins, has been welcomed. Sharing abounds amid the suffering and light shines in darkness. On Sunday, a yellow butterfly fluttered over the bread and cup on a makeshift table by the ruins of one of our churches in Gulfport as we spoke the familiar words, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. The best of all, God is with us.

With gratitude for the rich connection we share,


Hope Morgan Ward
Bishop, Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church

Louisiana state coastal tribes hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina

Posted: September 09, 2005
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today

HOUMA, La. - Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes of Louisiana-state recognized American Indian tribes on the Gulf Coast, and some have lost everything to hurricane damage and flooding.

Tribal members say Hurricane Katrina did not discern whether tribal members were from federally-recognized tribes, but those lacking federal recognition have been largely ignored by federal agencies and the media.

At least eight families of the state-recognized Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, located in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, lost everything or received major damage.

Patty Ferguson, member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and the tribe's attorney, said three families from the tribe - one in New Orleans, one in St. Bernard and one in Mississippi - lost everything.

At least five other tribal families living in Jefferson Parish have been displaced. As of Sept. 8, it was unclear whether their homes were spared in the storm.

"The tribe also does not know the extent of the damage of three families living in St. Charles Parish and one in Kiln, Miss., where the eye of the storm passed through," Ferguson told Indian Country Today.

Ferguson said there was other damage. "The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe estimates that that at least 21 families have some roof/house damage."

In southern Louisiana, five state-recognized Indian tribes felt the effects of Katrina, including the United Houma Nation which spreads across various settlements in that part of the state.

The other tribes hit were the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe; the Isle de Jean Charles Indian Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, located in Terrebonne Parish; the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, located in Lafourche Parish; and the Muskogees, located in Terrebonne Parish.

The United Houma Nation has about 4,250 members living in the region affected by Katrina, including St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson, and Plaquemines parishes. The entire parish of St. Bernard was flooded and those Houma Indians living there are now displaced. Some are in shelters, some in hotels, and others scattered throughout the state with relatives.

A preliminary report from Pat Arnould, director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs, on Sept. 6 showed that 70 Chitimacha families were affected in Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes.

With reports still coming in, preliminary accounts show the numbers of United Houma Nation tribal members affected: 200 people in Orleans, 650 in St. Bernard, 400 in Plaquemines and 3,000 in Jefferson Parish.

Arnould told Indian Country Today, "Please advise any tribal citizen affected in these areas to contact their tribal government with information on their whereabouts. At this time many will not know of the damage suffered, but we are very concerned with those who have evacuated."

Members of affected tribes living in other states should also contact their tribal government.

"I am getting many calls wanting to offer assistance but have no way of knowing the locations of our population," Arnould said.

Arnould can currently be contacted at the State Office of Emergency Preparedness: (800) 256-7036. Her desk number is (225) 925-7445. Other numbers include (225) 219-7556 or, for Louisiana residents, (800) 863-0098.

Elsewhere, Ferguson said members of the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees also have roof damage and are in need of assistance in making repairs. The main concern for this area is access to food and supplies. Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi Chitimachas Chief Randy Verdun arranged a food delivery to his community members through the assistance of churches in the Baton Rouge area.

"Many of these bayou tribes are fishing communities," Ferguson said of the five state-recognized tribes in southern Louisiana. "It is unclear how Hurricane Katrina will impact the fishing industry. The catches have been minimal the last few nights, and the market for crabs has been reduced.

"There is a fear that the crab, oyster and shrimp seasons may be finished for the year. The alligator season has been postponed due to mortality of alligators caused by the storm. Fishermen may be eligible for emergency unemployment because of the debris and pollution in the waters as a result of Katrina," she said.

Debris and trash in the waters need to be removed to enable a productive fishing season. Most Indians in the area freeze enough seafood for the winter.

"Tribal leaders are concerned about those families who do not have generators because their winter supply of seafood and other food products spoiled during the power outages. Families in affected parishes are also eligible for emergency food cards through the end of the week to assist in replacing spoiled food as a result of the power outage," she said.

Electricity and phone service was restored to the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, located to the southwest of New Orleans. Tribal members living in the community are grateful it was spared from the hurricane surge and are focusing on outreach to those members and individuals who have been hit the hardest by Katrina.
Chairman Charles Verdin of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe is concerned about roofs torn apart and the further damage that can be caused to homes if those are not repaired.

Emary Billiot, former tribal council member and an elder, will be surveying the damage in the community to see if any of the tribal members living in Pointe-au-Chien need help to make repairs.

Verdun said scores of homes would need repair from the strong winds of Hurricane Katrina. He said the three state-recognized Biloxi-Chitimacha Indian communities are along the Gulf Coast in Lafourche and Terrebonne.

"All were hard-hit," Verdun told Indian Country Today.

"Additionally, we have tribal members that reside in other parishes that were hard-hit as well. Some losing everything, many are still without power and need food and water.

"The economic impact will last for years, especially for those that rely on the gulf and inland lakes to earn their living in the seafood industry."

Due to hurricane damage to telephone lines, Indian Country Today was unable to reach the Houma Nation, Chief Albert Naquin of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha or Chairman Marlene Foret of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha.

Everybodys Asking...Where is UMCOR?

from Micheal Selleck


Note: Micheal Selleck is Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Georgia Conference. Here he shares his feelings (based upon experience)about UMCOR and the long-term recovery of the Gulf Region.

There is much confusion it seems about who is doing what among helping organizations in these early days of relief efforts, especially it seems, between the American Red Cross, et’al, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR.) Let me try to shed some light on this,in my own way.

UMCOR and the RED CROSS don't typically cover the same ground at the same time in disaster work, but not because they don't get along. Red Cross is an early response organization. They arrive at every disaster in the first hours and we see them front and center. After the initial situation is stabilized in days, weeks, (sometimes months), they will leave and hurry to other recent disasters. They move on! They have a clear mission of early response and they stick to it. No apologies, that's what the American Red Cross is designed to do.

UMCOR on the other hand sets up with a different mission. UMCOR helps community groups within a disaster area organize themselves in such a way that allows the folks directly affected to rebuild their lives. Because this rebuilding can takes years, UMCOR is designed to stay for years, long after the Red Cross has moved on to other disasters.

Red Cross sets up big bright tents in open spaces so folks can find them quickly in the chaos of the immediate aftermath. The news and press corps’ can easily find them too, displaying them prominently in the early days of a disaster in print and video. UMCOR can tell you quickly that a bright tent in an open field isn’t close to suitable for long-term relief.

UMCOR specializes in coordinating local community agencies, bringing together all churches in an area, community leaders, neighborhood groups, and government workers, to begin long-term strategies and actions for complete recovery. UMCOR sets up in old buildings, or church basements, or empty warehouses, places that can be low cost or rent free, where they can establish themselves for the long grind ahead. UMCOR work is not dramatic or splashy enough for most news video bites. Meetings of volunteers sitting in metal folding chairs, drinking lukewarm coffee, eating two day old donuts, talking, planning, and praying isn’t nearly exciting enough to sell papers in today’s age. Usually by the time UMCOR is in place to do the dirty work of digging out and putting peoples lives back together, the press corps and news satellite up-link vans are long gone. Where is UMCOR? They are staging right now, that is, they are scouting sites for long term assistance, places from which they’ll offer to the community guidance, infrastructure, building materials, work teams, cash, support, and keeping Christ in the midst of it all.

UMCOR and the UMC have a storied history of excellence in long-term recovery. The American Red Cross has a storied history in matters of immediate relief. Different approaches, common hope; help people get their lives back. Both have a place at the table, but not necessarily at the same time or in the same way.

In regards to the present consternation we’re experiencing between agencies in this current devastation, let’s keep in mind that all of us are in ‘uncharted waters’. With the enormous scope of this disaster, the American Red Cross may have hastily painted UM's with a broad “UMCOR long-term" brush -- probably unfair, but in a crisis of this magnitude, they aren’t ready to take the time to split hairs. I encourage all in the midst of this thing to be gentle with all folks who are trying to help, even when they're exasperating and short tempered. We UM’s have our moments too! These are trying times and it behooves us all to be EXTRA patient and gracious in a manner befitting the nature of Jesus Christ whom we represent to the world.

We stepped into the immediate relief arena because in the face of such daunting hardship and danger, we needed to so something; we did and we continue to do so. Now the imminent danger to displaced persons has subsided somewhat with the bulk of the victims in some form of shelter. We should now consider the prudence of moving into a “support” role for agencies that handle these shelters and providing care for those within. Likewise, we may now begin to mobilize our collective energies toward the looming long term tasks for which we’ll be required; building up houses and homes, hearts and spirits, of those devastated by the storm and subsequent fallout. We will not only need cash and supplies, we’ll need new leaders to emerge from with the Conferences of United Methodism, persons to rise to the occasion for the years ahead.

Not to trivialize the situation but it’s important we UM's, who choose to work under the umbrella of UMCOR, remember we are marathoners in disaster work. Sprinting runs the risk of sapping our tenacity and resources for the long term. The opportunities to do what we do best are ahead – unfathomable numbers of opportunities. Yes, we can help immediately, and we are! Yes, we send in early response teams to the disaster sites, they are coming and going, and they’re helping. But on the whole of it, UM's shine in the long term work, in the month to month rebuilding, year after year, helping people put their lives back together, stick to brick, prayer by prayer, hand in hand.

I was born into a UM parsonage. I’ve been inside the workings of the UM church for 54 years, and I’ve never witnessed anything close to the magnificent power that has been shown by this conference in the first week of this catastrophe. As I write, I see the powerful stirrings in our churches for the rebuilding tasks; collecting necessary cash, mustering work teams, coordinating dates of travel throughout the coming autumns, winters, summers, and springs, gathering the supplies that will be needed by the tons upon tons in the months ahead, and the many other aspects of long term recovery in this unparalleled natural disaster. Our church is glorious in this role because we are fervent people of God, servant people!

I invite you to rise up for the long work of rebuilding people’s lives at the points where they became disconnected: all along the gulf coast and all to the honor and glory of a loving God of hope whom we all serve.

Until me meet, vaya con Dios mi amigos.

Micheal Selleck
Director of Connectional Ministries
North Georgia Conference
United Methodist Church

Commentary: Liberian children offer gift of hope to Louisiana

Sept. 12, 2005
A UMNS Commentary
By Kathy L. Gilbert*

I have a gift for the children of Louisiana.

It is enormous. I have no doubt it will make a huge difference because it came from the purest hearts and it was entrusted to me in love.

This precious gift is tucked inside a wrinkled church bulletin. On the front are these words: "Donation of U.S. $20 from the children of Reeves Memorial United Methodist Church to the children of Louisiana, USA, in solidarity with their plight in the wake of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina."

Reeves Memorial United Methodist Church is in Monrovia, Liberia. On Sunday, Sept. 4, a small group of us from United Methodist Communications and the Board of Pension and Health Benefits were visitors there. Sister Frances M. Porte, charge lay leader and our guide while we were in Liberia, asked us all to write a brief bio about ourselves earlier in the week in preparation for our visit. In mine, I mentioned I was a native of Louisiana.

When the people of this church saw me, they saw a fellow United Methodist who was learning about loss. They saw a way to make a difference.

Reeves is a church where the children far outnumber the adults. These are children who know something about loss. Like the people in New Orleans, they are living without electricity and running water. Their homes have been wrecked not by a storm but by 14 years of war.

Traveling from one place to another is close to impossible in this country because a lot of the roads don't exist anymore. Those that are left are obstacle courses full of holes and chunks of concrete. "Gas stations" are rows of pink liquid in glass containers that have to be put into cars with a funnel.

In a country where 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, $20 is a fortune.

New Orleans is not my home, but New Orleans is where my spirit feels most at home. When the levee broke and the waters swallowed parts of Louisiana, I was thousands of miles away. Watching the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on CNN broke my heart.

Never in a million years would I have thought I would be safer in Monrovia, Liberia, than in my beloved city of New Orleans.

As a writer for United Methodist News Service, I was in Liberia to report on the war-torn country and the miraculous work being done by the United Methodist Church.

In the mornings over breakfast and the evenings over dinner, CNN played and replayed the tragic stories left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. During the day, I saw Liberia's pain first hand, and back at the hotel, I saw my home's pain through pictures on a television screen.

In eight days, I visited a camp full of young boys who were learning to be children again after being soldiers in Liberia's bloody civil war. I walked through a prison overflowing with filth and men and women living in unimaginable conditions. I met a retired blind pastor who relies on her daughter and granddaughter to save her from the snakes and scorpions that sometimes crawl into her bed through the cracks of her mud walls.

Liberia's problems won't be fixed soon, but there is a lot of hope in that country. Soon a national election will be held, and the people will have a chance to select a leader. As the church's leader in Liberia, Bishop John G. Innis is a force to be reckoned with. He sees a brighter future ahead. While we were there, Bishop Innis announced the Liberian Annual Conference had sent $500 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for hurricane aid.

Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Coast will recover also. When I entered that little church Sept. 4, the healing started for me. I was surrounded by people who care and love strangers in a place they will never see.

I have a mission. I have to go back home and deliver this wonderful gift.

There always seems to be too much misery in this world. But thanks to a lot of beautiful, small, smiling faces, I know there is always a lot of love too.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Mississippi churches pull together in heavily damaged state

Sep. 12, 2005
By Woody Woodrick*

JACKSON, Miss. (UMNS) - As Mississippi begins pulling itself out of the rubble left by Hurricane Katrina, United Methodists have become "the face of grace in action."

"The response of the church has been the face of grace in action," said the Rev. Jeff Pruett of Tunica, the Mississippi Annual (regional) Conference coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. "It has been a reflection of the spirit of care and compassion.

"The response with food and water has been overwhelming. We've been able to work with other agencies in communities when they were not able to get those supplies."

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Aug. 29, inflicting heavy damage on communities south of a railroad line about a mile inland that runs parallel to the gulf. As the storm moved inland, it also damaged towns and cities as far as 200 miles to the north.

In Louisiana, the storm surge flooded much of the southeastern part of the state, including New Orleans. As much as 80 percent of the city was flooded. As of Sept. 12, the death toll has passed 400.

In Mississippi, an estimated 211 lives were lost. The towns of Waveland and Pass Christian were virtually wiped out. The United Methodist Church's historic Gulfside Assembly in Waveland suffered catastrophic damage. Gulfside was opened in 1923 as a retreat and recreation center for African Americans who were not permitted to use most resorts in the segregated South, and it later became a retreat center for the entire church.

The Rev. John Moore, director of Connectional Ministries for the Mississippi Conference, credited Bishop Hope Morgan Ward's experience with dealing with storms in North Carolina as the key to galvanizing the conference's recovery and relief efforts.

Moore also praised the district superintendents and churches of the northern end of the state for their eagerness to help. "People want to help in any way they can," he said.

And clergy in the Seashore District pulled their church members together for both relief and worship, he noted. "The clergy, even though they were victims, were able to seize the moment to bring their people together where there were churches still standing," he said. "Where they weren't standing, they still gathered on Sunday and worshipped God and were able to claim the grace of God as the source of our strength to deal with what we've got to deal with."

Six United Methodist churches were destroyed: Leggett Memorial, Biloxi; St. Rock United Methodist Church, Biloxi; Mount Zion, DeLisle; St. Paul, Pass Christian; Safe Harbor, Escatawpa; and Pearlington United Methodist Church.

In addition, the Seashore Mission in Biloxi was destroyed. Moore Community House in Biloxi was heavily damaged, and the building might have to be torn down. The conference is uncertain about the fate of people who are believed to have tried riding out the storm at the Seashore Mission and at Mount Zion.

When Katrina knocked out communications in the South Mississippi, small communities were left stranded. As a result, the conference was just learning the condition of some churches and their members as many as 10 days after the storm, Moore said.

"I think this storm has wakened us to a reality that we said with our heads but now know with our hearts: We are a conference of rural churches," Moore said. "Nothing has driven the point home any more than to realize that the connections that we hoped we had with smaller churches perhaps were not as good as we had hoped.

"We're still days later finding that we've got small rural communities out there that we did not know about."

The enormity of the damage in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties overshadowed damage to communities in other areas. The Poplarville and Picayune areas sustained heavy damage and did not receive aid for several days. Also, Walthall and Pike counties sustained heavy wind damage. The areas around Meridian and Laurel were hard hit by winds that toppled giant oak and pine trees.

Some volunteer teams are working to remove debris. "We have teams in five or six counties working on the recovery effort," Pruett said.

The Rev. Robert McCoy of Baldwyn, the conference United Methodist Volunteers in Mission coordinator, is scheduling work teams.

Dozens of Mississippi United Methodist churches opened as shelters before and during the storm. Many of the shelters are still operating as federal and state emergency management organizations seek temporary housing for thousands who lost their homes.

"I get emotional thinking about what people have done," Pruett said. "FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority) and MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Authority) had plans. This was bigger than those plans had ever imagined. Likewise, God's people responded in ways more than we could imagine."

Some congregations, such as Meridian Central, Madison and Brandon Crossgates United Methodist churches, planned their response by being certified as Red Cross shelters. Others responded to the need by opening as shelters or serving other purposes.

Jackson Christ United Methodist Church opened a distribution center to supply shelters. Within 36 hours, the gymnasium and other areas of the church were full of supplies.

The Mississippi Conference moved quickly to establish a response organization. United Methodist Committee on Relief representatives are in the state helping set up a phone bank and arrange shipments of supplies and materials.

UMCOR also helped secure travel trailers and manufactured homes as temporary residences for pastors in the affected areas.

"In the same way that any pastor has a responsibility of membership care in heart, mind, body and soul, no less do we as a conference now look to what all is needed," Moore said. "We need to address the mental stress, the agony of seeing their people suffer; the perhaps dark night of the soul that such an event can cause in seeking to know the presence of God and experience the presence of God."

While acknowledging the efforts of those immediately after the storm, Pruett pointed out that recovery will take years and volunteers will be needed for months.

"In collecting materials and supplies, we need to be looking long term," he said. "We're looking at tools and materials that will be needed for building such as ladders, hand tools, pressure washers, etc."

Other needs are for flood buckets, containing items needed to begin cleaning a house that has been flooded, and health kits. Information can be found on the UMCOR Web site, http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/kits/. Other information on packing and shipping can be found at that site or by calling the Sager Brown Depot at (800) 814-8765.

Churches, groups and individuals are asked to contact the conference office before making deliveries or sending work teams.

Donations to support the United Methodist hurricane response can be made online at www.methodistrelief.org and by phone at (800) 554-8583. Checks can be written to UMCOR, designated for "Hurricanes 2005 Global," Advance No. 982523, and left in offering plates or mailed to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.

*Woodrick is editor of the Mississippi Advocate, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Mississippi Annual Conference.

Church World Service Raises Katrina Appeal to $9.5 Million

- Effort to Include Assistance to Evacuees; Spiritual and Trauma Response Care
- Agency's Responders in Region to Develop Long-term Recovery Program

September 9, 2005

NEW YORK/HOUSTON - Following Katrina's first waves of destruction and flooding of New Orleans, and the unprecedented wave of evacuation from the devastated area, responding agency Church World Service (CWS) announced today it is raising its national fund-raising goal to $9.5 million and is expanding its immediate and long-term recovery response to include expanded trauma and spiritual care and relocation assistance for people displaced to other cities, working in concert with other state, federal, and CWS programmatic partners.

In addition, CWS has also processed a shipment of 20 Interchurch Medical Assistance Medicine Boxes to Louisiana, which is sufficient to serve twenty thousand people total for up to three months.

CWS Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough says, "Given the enormity of need now and for a long time to come, we are increasing our efforts in our core strength as domestic disaster responders, that is, long-term recovery for the poor, elderly, disabled, for children, the impoverished, Native Americans, and others.

"We'll also be providing trauma and spiritual care and assisting Katrina's thousands of displaced throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and nationwide," he said.

From Houston, CWS Associate Director for Emergency Response Linda Reed Brown reports, "Thousands are lined up outside the (George Brown) Convention Center, waiting to go through FEMA processing. People are calm, subdued, though there's lots of anxiety."

CWS has almost 60 years of experience in disaster response and is the only national resettlement agency with a disaster response and recovery unit. Church World Service will assist with voluntary relocations for those families who remain displaced as result of evacuations and the destruction of housing in their communities.

This week, CWS disaster responders are in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, assessing needs, meeting with existing community-based long-term recovery organizations, and organizing new ones.

CWS predicts that as many as 25 new CWS-assisted long-term recovery groups will be formed nationwide as a result of Katrina. "Some of these groups are still working to help survivors of last years hurricane season," says CWS's Brown.

"Well be bringing our many years of expertise in helping displaced people," says McCullough. "We're now working with our network of affiliate agencies across the country to adapt and enlist the longstanding resources and systems already in place to help evacuees who resettle in a given city to tap the resources they need to re-create their lives.

"Our community-based affiliates and local church group volunteers know where to go and can help people find the resources they need to start a normal life again."

"Trauma for those directly and indirectly victimized by this hurricane may reach epic proportions," says McCullough, "affecting not only the survivors but also thousands of relief and rescue personnel and case management care-givers. They've exposed themselves physically, psychologically, and spiritually to the grief, frustration, and hopelessness of the overwhelming demands on their lives. Suicides within the New Orleans Police Department have already attested to this."

Within three days after Katrina struck, Church World Service delivered its initial shipment of immediate emergency medicines and supplies to Baton Rouge, the latter including blankets and emergency needs kits.

Response, Recovery, and Relocation
In addition to the Church World Service Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons now in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, ten domestic responders in all will be sent to affected communities to support organizing work for long-term recovery.

CWS domestic responders and senior New York staff will work with leadership of state councils/conferences of churches on coordinated, collaborative activities of the faith community across the affected states, particularly in relation to relocation activities.

In particular, age, health, education, economics, ethnicity, religious heritage, gender, and geographic location can all serve to increase vulnerability and diminish capacity to recovery from a disaster.

Domestic responders will concentrate organizing activity in areas where significant numbers of vulnerable survivors are, to help assure that their unmet needs are identified and given priority. CWS encourages the research and training of community leadership to effectively organize new and diverse communities for long-term recovery. Case management is designed to help families establish and fund a recovery plan.

CWS activities will also include: seed grants for developing long-term recovery organizations; sustainability grants for long-term recovery staff and administration (3-5 years); and home reconstruction grants to long-term recovery organizations.

CWS will support programs for up to 500 people, or roughly 165 families, over an initial period of three months who remain displaced as result of evacuations and the destruction of housing in their communities. CWS works with resettlement affiliate offices in eight sites around the United States.

The initial phase of this support will focus on resettlement affiliates that have already received uprooted families, according to McCullough.

Spiritual Care and Care-for-Caregivers

McCullough also notes, "Spiritual and emotional care will be of primary concern in coming months--and for years--for those who are affected. We intend to give particular support to clergy and lay caregivers who are ministering in the early days of relief and rescue, to those churches who are helping the relocation operations in their communities and states, and faith houses that will provide a continuum of care for long-term recovery."

CWS programs offer local faith leaders training opportunities and support through its Interfaith Trauma Response Training (ITRT) that helps equip them for care within their communities and self-care for themselves. The agency also offers trauma care through its Spiritual and Emotional Care Response (SECR) cadre of volunteer professional counselors. Both programs were developed during recovery after the September 11 disaster.

CWS domestic responders with high expertise in disaster emotional and spiritual care will also support the development of a national strategy to provide appropriate trauma and psycho-social care in shelters, relocation communities, and for grueling public operations such as morgue and death notification.

CWS Blankets and "Gift of the Heart" Kits

To date, Church World Service has shipped more than $300,000 in donated material assistance to affected areas, including 18,100 CWS Blankets; 14,335 "Gift of the Heart" Health Kits; 500 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Kids Kits; and 1,000 "Gift of the Heart" School Kits. Shipments have arrived in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. A shipment of UNICEF school and recreation materials will be distributed over the weekend in Meridian, MS.

Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to:

Church World Service
Hurricane Katrina Response -- #6280
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Or call 800 297 1516, ext. 222. Or give online at www.churchworldservice.org <http://www.churchworldservice.org/> .