Title: Brethren call for prayer for Bluffton Univ., communities affected by tornados March 2, 2007 Church of the Brethren News Service Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN CALLS FOR PRAYER FOR BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY, COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY
TORNADOS
(March 2, 2007) Elgin, IL -- Church of the Brethren members are called to prayer today for Bluffton University, a Mennonite school in Ohio, after members of its baseball team were killed in a tragic bus accident this morning; and for Americus, Ga., and other communities across the south hit by tornados last night. The call to prayer included Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Ala., where several students died when a tornado hit the school yesterday.
A charter bus carrying the Bluffton baseball team fell from an overpass onto Interstate 75 in Atlanta, Ga., early this morning. The team was traveling to a tournament in Florida, and was to play Eastern Mennonite University in Sarasota on Saturday. Six people were killed including the bus driver and his wife and four students, and several other students were critically injured. The coach, James Grandey, is in serious condition but expected to improve, according to an MSNBC report.
Among communities across the south affected by tornados last night was Americus, Ga., where the headquarters of Habitat for Humanity are located. Church of the Brethren congregations and members frequently partner with Habitat chapters to build homes for low-income families.
Nine people were killed by tornados across southern Georgia, with two people killed in Americus, according to CNN. In Americus, a tornado destroyed the offices of the American Red Cross, hit Sumter Regional Hospital, and destroyed up to 200 homes as well as downtown businesses, CNN said. Storms also destroyed a neighborhood and mobile home community near Newton, Ga., among other destruction.
"Uplift the Bluffton College community and the family members of those who were on the bus," requested Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board. "Remember in your prayer also the students, staff, and families of Enterprise High School. Pray for the town of Americus, the staff and families of Habitat and the Red Cross, and keep in prayer all those affected by these deadly storms."
Staff of disaster response ministries of the Church of the Brethren have been in touch with partner organizations, including Mennonite Disaster Service, which is involved in the aftermath of the bus accident, and the national Red Cross.
Disaster Child Care coordinator Helen Stonesifer said that her program is concerned to find out where needs may be following the swath of tornados yesterday and last night. "We have been in touch with partners to find out how we can help, and our services have been offered to the Mennonites," added Roy Winter, director of Emergency Response for the Church of the Brethren. The Brethren Disaster Response program also is exploring the need for rapid response following the tornados.
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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For more information contact:
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Director of News Services Church of the Brethren General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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