U.S. Churches reach out to Japan

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

>U.S. Churches reach out to Japan

New York, March 14, 2011 -- As news from earthquake-stricken Japan and Tsunami-
devastated coastal areas worsens, U.S. churches and religious groups are 
pulling out all the stops to assess how they can help.

Church World Service and National Council of Churches member communions responded 
within minutes after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11.

"The damage and loss of life is almost impossible to comprehend," said the  
Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC general secretary. "It's natural to feel helpless 
in situations as overwhelming as this. But prayer is an important first step -- 
prayer that asks God to be with the families of the dead, the injured, 
the homeless, and the responders at every level."

But Kinnamon said it is also crucial for persons of faith to provide financial 
support to Church World Service and other relief organizations that are  
providing food, water, shelter and comfort on the ground in Japan and other 
stricken areas.

"Spiritual support and healing ministry will be required long after the initial 
impact of the disaster," Kinnamon said, citing Haiti as another venue  
where U.S. churches will have a role for many years to come. "Along with everything
else, we pray for the faith and patience to remain committed for as 
long as it takes."

Church World Service said its emergency response staff are monitoring the unfolding 
situation around the Pacific Rim, where CWS has programs. The CWS Bangkok office 
is following the situation in Japan and across the region, while in Hawaii, 
where tsunami waves reached the islands, CWS's domestic team is monitoring that 
situation, working with local contacts in Hawaii.

In Indonesia, where Church World Service has extensive operations, a tsunami 
of about 10 centimeters was detected in the North Sulawesi and Maluku islands.

CWS Indonesia staff report they are staying in contact with two of the agency's 
local partners in North Sulawesi who say that communities who have been 
under tsunami alerts were advised to take precautionary measures and many  
people have done so. Wave heights of up to 8 feet had been expected in some of 
those areas. Further reports, assessments and emergency response as needed 
will be issued as the situation unfolds. Information about how to help can be 
found at www.churchworldservice.org.

Several NCC and CWS member communions announced responses over the weekend.

American Baptist Churches USA announced a $20,000 grant from One Great Hour of 
Sharing (OGHS), to be sent to its mission partner, the Japan Baptist Union, 
for relief efforts. See www.abc-usa.org for developments.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) said it was closely watching the  
situation along the U.S. Pacific Coast and around the Pacific Rim and will  
respond to needs through its Week of Compassion. See www.disciples.org for  
developments.

Writing on behalf of the combined world mission of the United Church of Christ 
and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Global Ministries co-executive 
directors told mission partners in Japan that the churches "will continue 
praying for you and seek ways to accompany you in the path that lies ahead." 
See www.ucc.org for developments.

The letter to the Rev. Aobora Taemae, general secretary of the United Church 
of Christ in Japan, was sent by the Rev. David Vargas, president of the Division 
of Overseas Ministries in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 
and the Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, executive minister of the UCC's Wider Church 
Ministries. Following the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resultant 
tsunami, Global Ministries staff have been actively attempting to make contact 
with mission personnel in Japan.

The Church of the Brethren's Mission and Ministry Board was meeting in Elgin, 
Ill. when word of the earthquake and tsunami came. The Board immediately  
issued a call to prayer and announced that Brethren Disaster Ministries has 
begun planning to support Church World Service (CWS) and its partners in  
relief efforts in Japan. See www.brethren.org for developments.

The Brethren board called on its members to join in the following prayer:

Merciful Lord, in their hour of anguish, hear and answer the cries of the 
Japanese people. Hear our prayers as our tears exclaim our compassion for all 
people who suffer. May your love, grace, and compassion bring a sense of  
comfort for those who mourn. Be with the many who work to bring relief, food, 
water, and shelter to those in need. And gracious God especially touch those 
mourning the loss of loved ones.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we 
will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in 
the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains 
tremble with its tumult.... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is 
our refuge" (Psalm 46:1-3, 11).

Anglican Communion churches and agencies said they are planning how best to  
respond to the earthquake. An Episcopal priest in Kailua on the east cost of 
Oahu, the Rev. Kate Lewis, told ENS via e-mail that warning sirens began  
sounding at 10 p.m. local time. She had not heard of any damage to Episcopal 
churches, some of which are very close to beaches. See www.ecusa.anglican.org 
for developments.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said it has 22 missionaries serving 
in Japan, working in partnership with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. 
Many of the ELCA's missionaries in Japan have communicated that they are safe, 
said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, ELCA program director for Asia-Pacific 
Continental Desk, the church said. See http://www.elca.org for developments.

The Orthodox Church in America said its hierarchs, clergy and faithful are  
being asked to remember in prayer all those affected by the disaster and to  
support efforts undertaken by International Orthodox Christian Charities 
[IOCC], which has assembled its emergency response team to assess needs and  
possible responses.

"The devastation being experienced in Japan is numbing, and it is only 
appropriate that we respond in kind with our prayers for the suffering and departed 
and support for any and all humanitarian efforts," said His Beatitude,  
Metropolitan Jonah. "Not only has the earthquake -- the strongest in Japan's 
recorded history -- caused incalculable damage, but the tsunami it released 
and the attendant destruction of much of the nation's infrastructure are 
almost beyond comprehension. In addition to our prayers, our support of IOCC's 
efforts are crucial at this time." See www.oca.org for developments.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) said it has 10 mission co-workers in various  
cities across Japan. By mid-day March 11 staff in Presbyterian World Mission 
had received word from four that they were safe. None of the mission workers 
are based close to the northern coastal city of Sendai, which has taken the 
brunt of the impact.

Denominational leaders have issued a call to prayer. The Rev. Gradye Parsons, 
stated clerk; Elder Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly; 
and Elder Linda Valentine, executive director of the General Assembly Mission 
Council urged Presbyterians to pray for all those affected by the disaster - 
victims and their families, aid workers, faith communities and leaders. "The 
magnitude of this kind of tragedy is difficult to grasp. Yet, our faith leads 
us to affirm that in even greater measure is the presence of God in the midst 
of the devastation," states the call. See www.pcusa.org for details.

Reformed Church in America missionaries said, "Japan has just experienced the 
most significant earthquake in decades, some sources are saying the worst in 
100 years," RCA missionaries Nathan and Nozomi Brownell said in an email to 
RCA Global Mission staff, "The worst hit area is Sendai City, the Miyagi 
Prefecuture and North Eastern coastal areas. The tsunami wave has been  
estimated at up to 7 meters (23 feet) high and reached up to 10 kilometers (6 
miles) inland. There is significant damage and fatalities." See www.rca.org 
for developments.

United Methodist reporter Linda Bloom filed this story after the earthquake:

The Rev. Claudia Genung Yamamoto was having a late lunch with two church members 
in west Tokyo when the restaurant was shaken by the most powerful earthquake 
to strike Japan in at least a century.

As they rushed outside on what was a Friday afternoon in Tokyo, the earthquake 
stopped but the aftershocks began.

"The ground kept moving and the telephone lines were swaying, so we were afraid," 
said Yamamoto, a United Methodist missionary and California native. "By 
this time, everyone had come out of the buildings to wait in the street. I 
told my members to keep praying, and I did the same."

Hours later, Japan was struggling with the aftermath of a combined earthquake 
and tsunami that killed several hundred people, touched off dozens of fires 
and raised concerns about a possible radiation leak at a nuclear power plant. 
The impact was felt around the globe as tsunami alerts were posted in other 
countries.

United Methodists expressed concern and offered prayers for the people of 
Japan. The United Methodist Committee on Relief and Church World Service were 
consulting with partners in the region on emergency-relief needs. 
See www.umc.org for developments.

Most of the member communions of the National Council of Churches and Church 
World Service were assessing their best responses to the earthquake this  
weekend and will announce their plans as they develop.

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in 
the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among Christians 
in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wide 
spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African 
American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 
100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 (cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org