March 3, 2010

The National Council of Churches USA, has called representatives of its member communions to a meeting on April 6 to begin planning for "our long-term engagement with the renewal and recovery of the people and nation of Haiti."

Responding to what it said in a news release are the "pressing needs of Haiti and the deep sense of call to respond," the council sent its invitation March 2 to the ecumenical officers of the NCC's 36 member communions and denominational specialists in Haiti ministries.

The NCC also announced March 2 that the organization and the Episcopal Church have jointly appointed the Rev. Rosemari Sullivan, former executive officer of the Episcopal Church, as coordinator of Haiti recovery work done on behalf of the NCC.

The April 6 gathering will be held in St. Paul's Rock Creek Church in Washington, D.C., where Sullivan is rector.

"This meeting is the first step in a listening process that will involve all the constituencies, in particular, our Haitian brothers and sisters," said Sullivan in a letter of invitation signed jointly with the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC general secretary. "We expect that this process will result in the identification of the work we can do together and the resources we can bring to the projects we identify."

Kinnamon acknowledged that the meeting would take place "as we are still evaluating the impact of the earthquake in Chile."

"Certainly all of us feel a need to respond to tragedies wherever they occur," he said. "Our hearts sometimes compel us to rush in and duplicate efforts in ways that are not always helpful. We intend this meeting on Haiti to help us create a model for ways we can use all our resources in the most helpful and constructive ways, wherever there is need."

Preliminary plans for the meeting call for identifying the needs of the Haitian communities in the U.S., with particular attention to people who came to those communities as earthquake refugees; consulting with religious leaders in Haiti to learn how they envision a response to needs; and caring for the spiritual and emotional needs of Haitian religious leaders who have lived through the disaster, the NCC release said.

Sullivan has been rector of St. Paul's since 2006. She was the Episcopal Church's secretary of General Convention and executive officer from 1998-2005. She also was director of alumni affairs at Virginia Theological Seminary and, prior to that, served Episcopal Church congregations in Alexandria, Virginia.

Episcopal News Service