As violence increases, chaplain calls for increase in spiritual support
For the Rev. Howard Dotson, the decision to become a chaplain and crime victims’ advocate began when two young men he was talking with were gunned down within a half hour of his meeting. The two were on a street corner raising money for a friend who had been shot and killed two days before. Dotson says the two wanted to make a stand against gun violence and honor a fallen friend before becoming victims themselves.
Members of a historic church in San Marcos, Texas, are making alternative plans for worship this Sunday after fire broke out earlier this week. Authorities say a police officer noticed smoke coming from the Memorial Presbyterian Church on Monday afternoon.
If there is anything good that can come out of a hurricane, it is preparation for the next one. That appears to be the feeling of residents and volunteers working in New Hope and Coastal Carolina presbyteries in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
It was November 8, 2013 when one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, slammed Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. The result: more than 6,000 dead, towns and communities were destroyed and millions of people were left homeless, with no food and little hope.
Tackling complex societal issues is never an easy task, but thanks to the creative talents in Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), congregations have access to original films that can serve as “conversation starters” for their ministry and community.
For the Rev. Howard Dotson, the decision to become a chaplain and crime victims’ advocate began when two young men he was talking with were gunned down within a half hour of his meeting. The two were on a street corner raising money for a friend that had been shot and killed two days before.
Rebuilding continues for thousands of people in South Louisiana whose homes were damaged or destroyed by flooding when the Amite River crested at 46.2 feet near Denham Springs in mid-August, breaking the previous record of 41.5 feet set in 1983.
It’s been several days since Hurricane Matthew made its way up the eastern U.S. coastline and people are still being evacuated. Power outages and high water have made it difficult for authorities to determine the extent of Matthew’s wrath.
Days after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, authorities are still trying to determine the extent of damage left behind. According to the latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 350,000 people are in need of assistance in Haiti.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has issued an appeal for help in the wake of Hurricane Matthew as the superstorm continues to spin along the eastern seaboard. More than 265 people are known to have been killed and thousands have been displaced since the storm made landfall in Haiti this week as a Category 4 hurricane.
