wfn.org | [ENS] Houston diocesan offices evacuate to Camp Allen

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Houston diocesan offices evacuate to Camp Allen

Diocese braces for Hurricane Rita

By Bob Williams and Jan Nunley

ENS 092205-1

[Episcopal News Service] Evacuating their homes and offices in Houston
in
advance of Hurricane Rita's expected landfall, the bishop and several
staff
members of the Diocese of Texas have relocated to Camp Allen, the
diocesan
conference center in Navasota.

"We're on the road, and it's taken three-and-a-half hours to travel 26
miles," Carol Barnwell, diocesan communication director, said from her
cell
phone. The usual four-hour drive to Dallas is now more than 10 hours,
Barnwell said, adding that her cat and dog were with her en route.

Barnwell said the Diocese of Washington (D.C.) will host a web page
should
the Texas diocesan website become disabled. The address is likely to be:
http://epicenter.edow.org.

Bishop Don Wimberly, together with the diocese's canon to the ordinary,
an
administrative assistant, and Barnwell are relocating operations to Camp
Allen, while Archdeacon Dean Harrison has relocated to Austin with the
backup files for the diocesan office.

Wimberly is present in Texas and of necessity unable to attend the
current
House of Bishops meeting, which opened today in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
with
hurricane relief foremost on the agenda. Bishop Duncan Gray of
Mississippi,
Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana, and Bishop Philip Duncan of the
Pensacola-based Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, brought updates
during
the morning session, while Louise Jenkins, wife of the bishop, addressed
the
concurrent gathering of bishops' spouses.

"There is much uncertainty preceding the actual landfall," Barnwell
said.
"The bishop is very concerned for the congregations and called all of
them
yesterday to touch base" and exchange emergency cell phone numbers.

Camp Allen is housing residents of the diocesan nursing home and another
nursing home from Baytown, Barnwell said, noting that many other people
are
taking refuge there, as well.

Barnwell said two different energy companies have set up operations at
Camp
Allen, so electricity is likely to be maintained on site.

The Houston diocese has been engaged in extensive ministry with evacuees
from Hurricane Katrina, with relief ongoing even as Texas Episcopalians
are
now facing the possibility of local devastation themselves.

Said Barnwell: "We appreciate your prayers."

-- Canon Robert Williams is director of communication for the Episcopal
Church and the Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy for communication.

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