Early Disaster Response Training and Basic UMCOR Training to be offered at March 17th Disaster Response Academy

One of the nation’s top trainers will be leading the Tennessee Annual Conference Early Disaster Response Training Academy scheduled for March 17th at the Tennessee Conference Center, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Rev. Butch Huffman, who presently serves as Chairperson of Staff and Personnel for the Southeastern Jurisdiction United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, is a pastor in the North Carolina Annual Conference. He has served churches in North Carolina since 1969 with the exception of October 1999-June 2002 when he served as a Missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries. During the two and a half years he served as a missionary, he was the Director of Volunteers for Disaster Recovery Ministry (DRM). He coordinated the volunteers for the DRM during the clean up and rebuilding from Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina.

Butch has taught the Early Response Training (ERT) Course since 1995. He and his wife Ann have also taught volunteer management at the UMCOR Sager-Brown Depot during the Disaster Academy. He has taught the Early Response Training Course at the Southeastern Jurisdiction Disaster Academy and as well as on an Annual Conference level in several Annual Conferences. Huffman has been involved with UMVIM since 1976 when he went on his first work team to Bolivia, SA. He has led teams to Jamaica, St Croix, Mexico, Guyana, Cuba, and many different states within the USA.

A Basic UMCOR training course will also be offered for individuals who have previously received early response training. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until noon. This course will be taught by members of the Tennessee Annual Conference Disaster Response team. Registrants in both workshops will also have an opportunity to view several vehicles that local churches have equipped for quick disaster response.

Lunch—grilled hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad –will be provided for Academy participants. Total cost for either Workshop will be $10.00 per person.

Individuals and groups wishing to receive some advanced training in Early Response chainsaw work can remain after 1:00 p.m. when a special chainsaw workshop will be offered by Paul Givens.

David Lay, Chairperson of the Annual Conference Disaster Response Committee, points out the importance of teams going through Early Response training: ““A group or individual needs some advance preparation before responding to a disaster. There are protocols that need to be followed when groups go into a disaster area, and there are also safety issues that need to be considered. Most importantly, groups need to have a contact person who has invited them to come. Disaster areas are usually tightly controlled in terms of access so it is imperative to have an invitation.”

I have been privileged to watch and work—a testimony from Bob Cate, Nashville District Disaster Response Coordinator
John21: 15-19 “Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep, Follow me” For over 25 years I have been privileged to watch and work with brothers and sisters in Christ as they gave their lives to serving others in times of crises caused by natural and manmade disasters. On March 17, 2007 there will be a new opportunity to study and become better prepared to answer Jesus’ command given in John. A disaster training academy will be help at the Conference Council Office.

When we see news coverage of disaster events we tend to see and think governmental agencies are taking care of everyone’s needs. We are wrong! Much of the help given to care for those affected by disasters are handled by Trained Volunteers not pain staff. It is too costly and unproductive to have a large corps of paid staff waiting around for disasters to happen. This is where local church volunteers, trained and prepared to respond, are so critical.

Jesus calls us to be lights to a broken world! There is no greater gift we can give than to serve our brothers and sisters who are suffering in our communities. Our witness for Christ is evident in our actions as well as our words of encouragement. We go into our communities with all our resources:

+Our church properties when appropriate
+Our members from adults to our youth
+Our financial gifts trough special offerings and special dedicated giving
+Our equipment and training.
+Our time and talents
+Our collaboration with other Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD local, regional, national, international)

Those we help in Christ’s name may be strangers…or they may be our families: mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters… or our friends and neighbors!
How will you serve Today…Tomorrow…are you prepared and trained.
Come March 17….. learn how to do it better….. ”Follow me”

Click on address to go directly to a downloadable registration form: http://tnumc.org/user_files/other/ERT.pdf