ACNS - Other Japanese dioceses send people to help in disaster-affected areas.

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Posted On : April 15, 2011 11:10 AM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/4/15/ACNS4846
Related Categories: Japan
Other Japanese dioceses send people to help in disaster-affected areas.
By From Mr Shinya Yawata, Nippon Sei Ko Kai (The
Anglican Church in Japan) International Secretary
The overall impact of earthquake and tsunami
according to the government has been:
·         Death: about 13,200 people
·         Missing: about 14,300 people
·         Displaced: about 167,000 people
·         Totally demolished homes: 52,800 homes
Most damage has been caused by the tsunami rather
than earthquake itself. In addition we are facing
the potential impact of nuclear radiation caused
by malfunction of the nuclear power plant. We are
experiencing many aftershocks with some of them
causing more damage to already weakened structures.
You can learn more about the scale of this
disaster in the media. I, however, will
concentrate here on how our churches have been
affected and how responding to the needs of those
affected, including those who are not Anglicans.
Except in a few places the structural damage to
churches and related institutions in the diocese
of Tohoku and Kita Kanto is relatively minor. I
can report that, miraculously, the tsunami did
very little damage to buildings.
In Tohoku diocese Sendai Christ Church building
was badly damaged by the earthquake and not the
tsunami although parts of the city of Sendai
along the coastal line were destroyed by the
tsunami. The church building has been designated
as unsafe. Therefore services have been held in
the parish hall. All other churches in Tohoku
diocese have avoided damage from the tsunami
because they are located far enough from the
shore or on higher ground. They have, however,
suffered varying levels of earthquake damage,
including cracked or fallen walls and windows,
damaged ceilings, broken furniture, etc. None are
totally demolished. Many churches in Tohoku
diocese have kindergartens attached. Some of the
parents of the children who attend these report
that they have lost their homes, shops, stores and farmland.
One person in the diocese was killed and two are
still missing. All three are lay members of the
church. None of the clergy were lost.
In Kita Kanto diocese 2 church buildings were
badly damaged. St Stephen?s Church in Mito city
lost its bell tower. It was so badly damaged that
it had to be torn down immediately for safety
reasons. The church building of St. Andrew?s
Church in Hitachi city has a damaged ceiling,
cracked/fallen walls, cracks on ground, etc. Few
others have suffered damage but none have been
totally destroyed. There are no reports of human
casualties in Kita Kanto diocese.
Several dioceses within NSKK have started
providing pastoral care for Anglicans by
regularly sending out their clergy, and this
applies to both parishes and attached
kindergartens. At the time of this calamity the
diocese of Tohoku had nine ordained personnel
including one from Anglican Church of Korea plus
one bishop to cover vast area of six prefectures.
St Timothy in Onahama and Grace Church in
Kamaishi are this case. In addition a couple of
more churches will be receiving clergy from diocese of Yokohama and Tokyo.
Thus far, the major area of relief work for
affected people is supplying food and necessary
goods for daily life, such as cooking fuel, clean
towels, clothing, etc. As already reported on the
Anglican Communion News Service, supplies of food
have been delivered to elderly people by an
ecumenical group based at St. Timothy Church in
Onahama, Iwaki-shi. Personnel from three dioceses
in Kansai, Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto dioceses, are
travelling to the area to assist with that initiative.
In Kamaishi city where the tsunami caused
wide-spread devastation there is one church,
Grace Church, Kamaishi with a nursery school
attached. This location will become a very
important focal point for local community
services. This site will become a safe place for
children and mental care will be provided for
children whose parent(s) have been lost. To do
this Tohoku diocese will receive personnel
assistance from the diocese of Hokkaido. At the
moment food supplies are the priority but, as
with St. Timothy Church in Onahama, the nature of
the relief work will eventually change when food
becomes more widely available.
Currently all these activities are responses to
immediate needs. Until things change the
Provincial Office will focus on providing care
where and when it is required. However, at a
Provincial-level meeting yesterday staff there,
along with other diocesan representatives ,
agreed to establish a taskforce located in
Sendai. This team will conduct a needs assessment
to identify where NSKK should focus its efforts.
Following a recommendation from the taskforce, an
implementation team will be established. All this
will, however, take some time to carry out.
Please continue to keeps us in your prayers.