Hurricane Irma may be gone, but the aftermath of its path across Florida is still being felt by residents, businesses and churches. FLAPDAN (Florida Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Network) held a conference call with the state’s six presbyteries and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance on Wednesday to get a general assessment of the needs in each area.
PC(USA) Seminaries are crucibles of faith formation for our future ministers and they have joined a chorus of those responding to the threats and acts of violence over the last week.
Two Orthodox Coptic churches were the subject of suicide bombings on Palm Sunday, April 9, killing 44 and wounding 126. The first attack occurred at St. George’s church in Tanta, about 50 miles north of Cairo. The second occurred at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast.
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.
For the Rev. Jon Walton, September 2001 was supposed to mark the start of a new ministry. He had just become pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of the City of New York and his first sermon was September 9th. But any anxiety about his new job quickly evaporated two days later when two planes flew into the World Trade Center claiming more than 2,600 lives.
In the nearly four years since Hurricane Sandy struck the United States, volunteer work teams from across the country have traveled to the hard hit regions, particularly New Jersey and New York, to help people recover and return to their homes. But after countless days, weeks and months of hosting teams, one church believes the time has come to close the doors on its Sandy relief efforts.
This year’s weather systems, especially the El Nino patterns, have caused serious headaches for disaster assistance crews across the country, whether dealing with flooding or drought situations.
Controlled chaos. That’s how Joan Stewart, executive director of the West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps—the long-term recovery response arm of the Presbytery of West Virginia—describes flood-damaged communities nearly two weeks after record flooding. The water has receded, but the clean up is just ramping up.
As many as 200 firefighters responded as flames spread to five houses and the Presbyterian Church of the Crossroads. One of the houses was the church manse.
