Episcopal Church Stands with Hurricane Victims
Mapping out an accurate response to the damages caused by Katrina, the Episcopal Church developed a new churchwide system called "We Will Stand With You" (WSWY) for long-term church restoration.
Parishes across the country are forming partnerships as churches were hard hit by flood waters and are in need of collaborative rebuilding assistance. Affected congregations are matched with dioceses that offer intermediate and long-term help through fundraising.
In an accurate assessment of needs, George Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies, began a four-phase WSWY program consisting of inventory and assessment, match-up of needs and resources, functional process of on-the-ground help, and evaluation and improvement with ongoing monitoring.
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Already 10 partnerships have been established and churches that were once in four feet of water are now on their way towards recovery.
"We're doing the work of cleaning the church and preparing it for the work that God has prepared for us," said the Rev. Walter J. Baer, rector of Grace Church, in a released statement. Grace has combined all four of its multicultural Sunday services into one as parishioners cope with the damages and rebuilding stage. Praises, however, are still filling the Gulf Coast air.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, the Episcopal Church was flooded with offers of help. The Office of the Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies decided to channel that help in a more effective way through the WSWY program.
In addition to field-work assistance, the program serves to encourage the support of prayer and connection to help fellow congregants who were affected by the storms.
For more information on WSWY, visit www.ecusa-chaplain.org
