Title: No Damage to ELCA Churches on Hawaii Following Strong Earthquake ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 16, 2006
No Damage to ELCA Churches on Hawaii Following Strong Earthquake 06-152-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Murray D. Finck, bishop of the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), reported no structural damage to churches of the ELCA on the islands of Hawaii after a strong earthquake cut power to most of the state Oct. 15. Finck was on the island of Oahu during the earthquake.
"Communication was poor yesterday, which made it difficult to contact people," Finck told the ELCA News Service Oct. 16. "Without electricity, many people were outside of buildings trying to find food and safe drinking water. It was a bit chaotic," he said.
Finck was on Oahu to attend an ordination and a meeting of the synod's Hukilau Conference, which consists of 11 congregations on four Hawaiian Islands. Finck said participants in the conference and the synod are now working to respond to the needs of people affected by the earthquake. In Kailua Kona an ELCA pastor's home was "severely damaged," he said.
The ELCA Pacifica Synod, based in Yorba Linda, Calif., is made up of 10 conferences with 125 congregations in the state of Hawaii and portions of Southern California, including Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties and parts of the City of Los Angeles. - - -
Information about the ELCA Pacifica Synod is available at http://www.pacificasynod.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog