May 6, 2011

CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response and the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are making plans for a long-term response to congregations and people affected by last week's deadly tornados in the southeastern United States.

Lutheran Disaster Response is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Lutheran Disaster Response sent a combined total of $75,000 to three social ministry organizations to help coordinate disaster response locally, said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director for Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA Domestic Disaster Response. The funds were sent to Lutheran Ministries of Alabama Inc., Birmingham; Lutheran Services of Georgia Inc., Atlanta; and Lutheran Services in Tennessee Inc., Nashville, he said.

In addition, Massey said funds will be provided to the ELCA Southeastern Synod to provide for two specific ministry needs: a spiritual care provider and a coordinator for volunteer clean up and recovery work. The Rev. Julian Gordy, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Synod, announced the appointment of the Rev. Deborah K. Halter, Decatur, Ga., as pastor for congregational support, to serve congregations in Alabama.

Gordy, who is in Guatemala, met by conference call with representatives of social ministry organizations in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee to review disaster response plans, the synod reported in an email message.

Many volunteers have offered to assist with recovery in the synod. The synod said it is working with social ministry organizations to coordinate volunteer assistance.

In Cullman, Ala., where a tornado on April 27 destroyed the building for Christ Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation, about 70 members gathered for worship May 1. They worshiped at St. John's Protestant Church, about a block away from the destroyed building. The Rev. Sandra M. Niiler, interim pastor for Christ Lutheran Church, invited members to share survival stories.

"Members told the story of how the processional cross from Christ was found several blocks from the church," according to the ELCA Southeastern Synod. "It landed in the yard of an Episcopalian family. They recognized that it was a processional cross and that it had to be from a liturgical church, almost certainly Christ Lutheran Church. It was returned to the grateful congregation."

Niiler told members that the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, called and assured her and the people of Christ Lutheran Church that the ELCA stands with them. The Rev. Darrel A. Peterson, assistant to the bishop, represented the ELCA Southeastern Synod at the congregation's worship service.

A tornado destroyed part of the roof of the youth building at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hixson, Tenn., the synod also reported. A tornado leveled the building for Ford's Chapel United Methodist Church, Harvest Ala. The congregation of Incarnation Lutheran Church, Harvest, began worshiping at the Ford's Chapel Church on Easter. Both congregations worshiped together May 1 in the damaged, but usable, sanctuary, the synod said.

In another part of the country, Lutheran Disaster Response sent $25,000 to Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, St. Louis, Massey said. Those funds are a first distribution to help the agency respond to a tornado that struck the St. Louis area, including Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The funds will also be used to assist people affected by flooding in Missouri, resulting from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to blow up levees to relieve pressure from high water and spare flooding in Cairo, Ill.

Gifts to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response will be used entirely to respond to the series of spring storms, including tornados and floods. Gifts may be contributed at http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/storms/, on the ELCA website. Gifts may also be contributed by calling 800-638-3522, or by mail to ELCA Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-9300. Please write "U.S. Severe Storms" on your check's memo line.

ELCA News Service