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KATRINA RELIEF MONTH

The Moravian Church has declared that September is to be Katrina Relief Month. Individual congregations will receive special offerings as they feel led and forward their funds on to the BWM. In turn, we will collect these funds and forward them to Church World Service or should the BWM decide, we may use them in other appropriate ways for Katrina Relief – all the funds will go to Hurricane Relief efforts. The Southern Province has offered some alternative choices for sending donations, some of which are member communions of CWS as well as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

The BWM office will be coordinating volunteer interests both for individuals and later, teams from congregations. This interest and to whom we will direct it will be carefully researched based on the individual, situation, and the organizations. For example, medical persons might best work with a medical organization; and we would insure due diligence is given to provide quality guidance to enable a quality experience. For pastors and other professional caregivers, likewise, we would direct them to organizations or denominations which the Moravians have historically worked with. In the case of reconstruction or more generic volunteer opportunities, we might look at several alternatives after discussing those with the individual as well as again making sure that we are very confident that the organizations themselves are quality. Our BWM preference will always include CWS, but we should recognize that there are other relief agencies that are equally viable and reputable organizations that some people might prefer.

         Eventually, the Board would look to identify a particular area – maybe a small town or a part of a larger town and ask to work along side its residents to help rebuild it. In this way, we would be able to send a steady stream of work crews from all over the North American Moravian Church. What an incredible way for our own congregations from different provinces to work side by side, and get to know each other, worship with each other, join hands with a new community, and share with that community the meaning of Moravian community and Moravian mission. This would also help to give our newly emerging Regional Volunteer Coordinators network a concrete opportunity to grow into something substantial that would carry itself forward for years to come.     

More information will be forthcoming as more specific details are available. Please pray for the staff in the northern and southern BWM offices who are receiving calls for information on relief efforts and keeping up with new developments at the same time.  Pray especially for Mark Ebert as he spearheads the BWM response, especially in the Southern Province.

Please note these basic guidelines in considering relief response:

#1 – Cash is always the best donation. Material donations really are not helpful. When people say they need water or food or something on TV, it’s simply a breakdown in the logistics of getting those things to people that is causing the problem, not the absence of the things themselves.

#2 – Volunteers are only useful when they can be supported by the local infrastructure where they are going to work; otherwise, they only add to the burden.

#3 - In this particular disaster, please recognize that if one opens their home up as a shelter, one may be having a houseguest much longer than one anticipates.

Many blessings! As always, each one of you is very much appreciated!

Will

The Rev. William C. Sibert, Jr.
Executive Director

Board of World Mission
Moravian Church in North America
P.O. Box 1245
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017