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'Church is resilient,' Louisiana bishop says

Sep. 6, 2005

NOTE: Photographs and related coverage are available at
http://umns.umc.org.

By Betty Backstrom*

BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS) - Touring parts of Louisiana Sept. 4, United
Methodist Bishop William W. Hutchinson got an up-close look at areas of
his state that were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.

The bishop, along with the Rev. Don Cottrill, provost, and the Rev.
Freddie Henderson, New Orleans District superintendent, participated in
church services at First United Methodist Church in La Place.
Twenty-five people attended. The church sustained no significant damage
from the storm, though many homes and businesses in the area suffered
dramatically.

"It is amazing, in the midst of so much destruction, that some of our
churches have little or no damage to deal with," said Hutchinson, who
leads the denomination's Louisiana Area. "Many churches were not so
fortunate. However, the church is resilient. On our visits, I saw signs
of great life and praising of God. Although the future is uncertain,
believers must take each day as a gift and celebrate it to the fullest."

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 29,
devastating communities and leaving behind an unknown number of dead.
The destruction was particularly severe in New Orleans, where levees
protecting the city were breached. The city's mayor has said the death
toll may reach 10,000.

Travel to many areas was severely restricted because of flood waters,
downed trees and power lines.

During his Sept. 4 trip around the state, Hutchinson attended worship at
the 11 a.m. service at St. Timothy's on the Northshore United Methodist
Church, with 20 in attendance. A normal service for St. Timothy's
typically draws 1,000-1,300 worshippers. A fallen tree had damaged the
gymnasium.

The bishop's group was encouraged by visits to Church of the Servant
United Methodist Church in Mandeville and North Cross United Methodist
Church in Madisonville, since both churches sustained only minor damage.

The Rev. Chris Blanchard, pastor of Destrahan United Methodist Church,
traveled to La Place United Methodist Church, bringing bread that was
shared during communion. Blanchard's church, as well as those visited by
the bishop, was without power.

While Louisiana church officials began assessing damages and planning
recovery efforts, with the help of the United Methodist Committee on
Relief, congregations that weren't hit hard by the storm were already
reaching out to those less fortunate.

Carolyn Magee, a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston,
La., marveled at how her church's shelter for Hurricane Katrina evacuees
evolved.

"We're making this up as we go along. Unfortunately, we don't have a
playbook for a disaster of this magnitude," said Magee, whose church had
offered shelter to evacuees from previous storms.

Trinity United Methodist Church was housing 180 people, although the
number was fluctuating daily. "Some people who were with us have been
able to return home to places like Ponchatoula and Moss Point. Others
may be with us for months. No matter what, we'll be here as long as
we're needed," Magee said.

United Methodist churches in Ruston were partnering with Trinity to
staff the center, provide supplies and offer spiritual support to
evacuees. A clothes closet was bursting at the seams, and requests for
items were being met immediately through the generosity of church
members and people throughout the community.

Grace United Methodist Church provided extra shower facilities, and the
Rev. Connie Breaux with Grambling State University's Wesley Foundation
organized regular worship services for the evacuees.

Close to 50 of the children housed in the shelter registered to attend
public schools in Ruston. Trinity United Methodist Church was also
working with the local community to place adults in temporary jobs.

"Our task is not only to provide immediate relief but to transition as
many folks as possible into temporary housing and employment. Once their
feet are on the ground, then they can seek more permanent solutions,"
said Brian Mercer, youth director for Trinity and shelter volunteer.

Residents leaving the shelter were being given several bags of groceries
and other items to help them get started again.

A middle-aged woman staying at the shelter was looking through used
clothing for something to wear. "I never thought I would be the one
doing this," she said. "I've always been the volunteer at my church
helping others. Now it's my turn to be helped."

Mercer added that God's presence was evident at the shelter. "We'll be
talking about this need or that need, and all of a sudden, someone walks
through the door to fill it. Once, we had a minor medical emergency, and
a nurse arrived right at that moment."

Shelter volunteers noted that the needs of evacuees were increasing.
"Fourteen folks arrived last night," Mercer said Sept. 2. "They had been
rescued by boat in New Orleans, and were exhausted and dehydrated. One
woman miraculously found her way to us after being taken from a hotel,
boated to the highway and left on a highway ramp."

Residents of the shelter included 3-week-old twins, several diabetics
and folks with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy. "We have a
number of volunteer nurses who tend to minor medical needs; those with
more serious problems, we take to a hospital," Magee said.

"People have been so generous. Local furniture stores, church members
and folks in the community have provided food, supplies and mattresses,"
she added.

The church was providing services three times a day and making a prayer
chapel available at all times. The Louisiana Methodist Children's Home
in Ruston provided the services of trained counselors several times a
day. "This is essential for these people who have been through so much,"
Magee said.

Reflecting on the importance of shelters like the one at Trinity, one
volunteer noted: "This is what the church is supposed to look like."

Donations to support the United Methodist response to Hurricane Katrina
can be made online at www.methodistrelief.org and by phone at (800)
554-8583. Checks can be written to UMCOR, designated for "Hurricanes
2005 Global," Advance No. 982523, and left in church offering plates or
mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.

*Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United
Methodist Church's Louisiana Annual Conference.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

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

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