UMC Moves Forward with Katrina Church Recovery Appeal
The United Methodist Church is launching the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal to help the denomination's congregations recover from the devastating losses that Hurricane Katrina brought on more than 10 weeks ago.
The United Methodist Church is launching the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal to help the denomination's congregations recover from the devastating losses that Hurricane Katrina brought on more than 10 weeks ago.
Separate from the United Methodist Committee on Relief aid work in the Gulf Coast region, the new appeal will focus on rebuilding church facilities and building new ministries among many other church and conference needs. The Council of Bishops approved the recovery appeal last week during their fall meeting.
"It’s a different appeal because the United Methodist Committee on Relief is disaster response for victims, families,” Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Conference of the UMC told The Christian Post on Monday. “It’s not for the rebuilding of churches or church property. That’s why they Council of Bishops have embraced this appeal for church recovery.”
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Across the storm-stricken states, six United Methodist churches have been reported to be completely demolished along with 20 more that were assessed as severely damaged, according to Ward. UMC has continued assisting the affected evacuees with the provision of shelter, food and a place to worship.
"The church has been the church in all of this," said Bishop William Hutchinson of Louisiana in a released statement.
Currently, the Council of Bishops are in the process of assessing plans for rebuilding efforts as they take it one step at a time. The bishops will establish a steering committee for the new appeal, which is to meet every six months to discuss block grants for salaries, property, connectional ministries and other needs.
“We’re taking the next steps forward,” said Ward.
A two-day conference is being held beginning Tuesday in Mississippi to draw out strategies and plans and a get a look at the bigger scope of the disaster situation with assistance from a consultant.
With thousands evacuated from the Gulf Coast regions, including entire church congregations, however, a count of the number of families and congregants are not yet confirmed and insurance payments are still unknown.
“While the storm was two months ago, there’s still much that’s unknown,” said Ward who called the situation a very “complex challenge.”
Plans are under development and details are being laid out for ways to gather support for the church appeal and work on “reconfiguring” the ministry.
More than just simple rebuilding, the denomination is looking to build ministry with a new approach.
“[It’s] not just what was in the past, but what is needed for the future and we hope out of this time together that we will take another step forward,” said Ward.
