Press Releases

Gulf Coast Hurricane Update 10/31/05

It has been nine weeks since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Nazarene Disaster Response has been hard at work in those regions assisting in clean-up and rebuilding. The ministry of NDR is designed to work through local churches. The local churches of the affected region have partnered with local churches from around the world to share the love of Christ with so many who are hurting as a result of this storm.

Five weeks ago, as relief agencies were beginning to get a handle on their operations and as remaining evacuees were moving from emergency shelters into temporary housing, Hurricane Rita struck with massive force in Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana. This storm forced many people to evacuate a second time and affected the lives and property of another large group of people. Again, Nazarene Disaster Response partnered with local churches to return and begin the slow process of recovery.

To date over 3.6 million dollars has been raised for Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief, with donations coming from around the globe.

In Louisiana, the enormous operation at the Pearl River Church is winding down. Volunteers have arrived to run the formerly small food pantry, which has recently seen rapid growth. Repairs are nearing completion in the area and work teams are beginning to pull out, allowing the church to use their Sunday School rooms for Sunday School once again.

The needs in the coast regions, however, will remain for quite some time. The Slidell church building repairs are nearing completion, with just painting and carpet installation left to be done. Pastor Lambert continues to lead volunteer teams in repair and restoration projects among the community. Future work teams in Slidell will be utilized for this purpose.

The Louisiana District has declared New Orleans First Church to be a Compassionate Ministry Welcome Center for their neighborhood. Churches from across the state will be taking turns preparing meals, visiting and coordinating help for the church’s neighbors as they begin the long process of rebuilding their homes. “This is a great opportunity for our church to reach out to the community,” said District Superintendent Gene Phillips, “we envision a giant banner on the church saying ‘Welcome Home’ as people return. We want to set up grills in the front yard and just cook all day with teams going throughout the neighborhood bringing people lunch and working side-by-side with them to rebuild their homes.”

In Mississippi, church repair continues, as does the ministry of distributing building supplies and donated household goods to families in need. RV utility hookups have been installed at several churches to better enable work teams to provide their own lodging during their stays. Pastor Gay Bosley of the Columbia (MS) church had only been in her position for a month when the storm hit. The outpouring of support from across the denomination has allowed her to get to know her new community in a very real way. Hundreds of people are still being fed daily at the Fitkins Memorial church. Despite these difficulties, the Mississippi District churches have been stockpiling supplies and preparing trucks to assist in Southern Florida after Hurricane Wilma.

In Alabama the story is much the same. Several dozen work teams have worked hard to clean up and repair church buildings in Bayou Le Batre and Mobile. While the feeding stations and shelters have shut down, the support of displaced families remain. Local congregations, often coping with their own losses, continue to support those who have lost everything in these storms.

Hurricane Rita brought a new and different set of challenges. Damage, primarily from high winds, affected twenty-five churches on the South Texas District, which had already assumed a massive responsibility for relief from Katrina. Rev. Dennis Knight of the Vidor Church is a full time police officer and Pastor Steve Vaughn of Orange First Church serves as a volunteer firefighter. Both men report amazing stories of God’s grace and power in the midst of chaos. Work teams from across the country mobilized to clear fallen trees and repair wind-damaged buildings as needs were made known.

Much of the Rita affected area in Western Louisiana and Southeastern Texas is sparsely populated, with numerous towns too small for the massive operations of FEMA or the Red Cross. NDR has sent volunteers to minister to the thousands still living in tent cities while their roads and homes are rebuilt. Many of these small communities were housing Katrina victims without help from relief agencies; now, with their own damages, finances are strained. There is still a great need for support.

Additional information on volunteering, past press releases and other pertinent information, as well as videos of General Superintendent trips to survey the response effort can be found at www.ncm.org.

Donations to the ongoing relief effort can be made by MasterCard or Visa at www.ncm.org and checks, made out to “General Treasurer” can be sent to 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City, MO 64131. Please mark them “ACM1801 Gulf Coast Hurricanes” in the memo line.

• On-line using VISA or MasterCard
• OR In the US, make checks payable to: General Treasurer
• and mail to:
  General Treasurer
  6401 The Paseo
  Kansas City, MO 64131
• In Canada, make checks payable to: Church of the Nazarene
• and mail to:
  Church of the Nazarene Canada
  20 Regan Road, Unit 9
  Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3

All donations remitted through NCM and the General Treasurers Office will receive 10% Mission Special credit if the local church is identified.

NCM is the liaison between the pressing needs of the world and the individuals that are committed to making a difference. We understand that you may not be able to respond to every need. However, we want to keep you informed of the opportunities for your involvement in projects such as this. Every project deserves your individual consideration.