wfn.org | Commentary: Church was a saving force following hurricane

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Feb. 4, 2000  News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{047}

A UMNS Commentary
By Forrest Smith*

I have been a Methodist for most of my 42 years. However, until recently I
knew little about the connectional nature of the United Methodist Church,
and I didn't understand the need to be connected to other Christians and
congregations. That changed when a natural disaster struck my state a few
months ago.
  
Last September, there was a hurricane named Floyd. It came through eastern
North Carolina, where my wife and I live, devastating our town of Tarboro
and this whole part of the state. More than 43 percent of our county was
flooded, and thousands of people lost their homes. In our county alone,
hundreds were left homeless.

For several weeks, the people battled the floods. Confronted with a lack of
water for drinking and flushing, scarcity of food, and the fact that
thousands were living in shelters for weeks, we wondered how everyone would
get through it all.

During the first few days, we had no Red Cross, no National Guard, no
government help, only the churches and the local government agencies to keep
us going. I saw the churches of Tarboro work together like never before,
setting up distribution centers and delivering needed supplies to the
shelters. The supplies had been donated and rounded up by individuals and
churches.
  
Then help came from the North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference, with
Bishop Marion Edwards, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the
Western North Carolina Conference and others coming to see how they could
help.
  
UMCOR began sending in pumps, generators, and supplies to help dig out and
clean up the homes. Volunteers came in by the hundreds from churches all
over the conference, state and country.  

People showed up on the doorstep of our church, St. James United Methodist
Church, after driving from Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and other states
to see first hand what their church back home could do. Pastors and people
from churches all over were calling St. James continuously wanting to know
what to send, or to volunteer their help.

We had church groups helping operate the distribution center at St. James,
which helped hundreds of people get supplies during the month or so that it
was open. These supplies were sent by churches in Baltimore, Florida and all
over North Carolina.  

Churches and individuals sent checks to help flood victims get a new start,
and cars and mobile homes were donated.  

In December, the churches of the North Carolina Conference put together and
distributed "Christmas Memory" boxes. These contained decorations, a
Christmas storybook, stockings, a camera, and many other items to help
families start new holiday memories.  

Families that received these were overjoyed. Many had not looked forward to
celebrating Christmas because they had nothing with which to celebrate.

The Western North Carolina Conference has set up a Disaster Response Center
to coordinate the hundreds of volunteers coming to help clean and rebuild. 

St. James has been used by congressional representatives, state agencies and
others to hold meetings and get information to flood victims. Our church
building was one of the only structures in downtown Tarboro not damaged in
the flood, although we did lose our boiler, which Duke Endowment graciously
paid to repair. 

I have seen that the Body of Christ and the United Methodist Church truly
are doing the Lord's work. Because of the connected nature of the United
Methodist Church, we are able, as a body of believers, to do much more than
our church alone would have been able to do. St. James has been the
recipient of and the vessel through which many blessings from the
denomination have flowed, and we have seen many flood victims crying because
the Lord Jesus Christ through the United Methodist Church has touched their
lives.  

I would like to thank every church member, congregation and conference that
has sent help in whatever form, along with UMCOR.  

We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love.  

I can truly say that because of what I have seen come from this disaster I
am proud of the United Methodist Church and proud to be United Methodist.
# # #
*Smith is a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Tarboro, N.C. He
is a certified lay speaker and a candidate for the ministry. He is corporate
director of safety and health for a textile company.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://www.umc.org/umns