ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 6, 2007  

Bishops Learn of Successes, Possible Changes in Lutheran Disaster Response
07-030-JB

     GALVESTON, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson,
presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA), expressed thanks for the generosity of ELCA members who
gave millions of dollars and volunteered their time to help
residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast recover from the devastating
2005 hurricane season.
     Hanson also expressed his appreciation to Lutheran Disaster
Response (LDR) for its  "phenomenal capacity to be this church's
public face to those who have experienced such tragic losses."
The presiding bishop suggested some possible changes in LDR
policies and operations for the future, the result of some
lessons learned in responding to widespread disasters -- such as
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 -- and from his own fact-finding trip
Feb. 22 to New Orleans.
     Hanson made the comments in his March 2 report to the ELCA
Conference of Bishops. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an
advisory body of the church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod
bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.  It met here March 1-6.
     LDR is a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod.  Hanson noted the four foci of LDR are critical to its
mission but are largely unknown throughout the church:
distribution of hardship grants, spiritual and emotional care,
volunteer coordination, and long-term recovery and case
management.  He also noted that already under way along the Gulf
Coast is the second "What A Relief!" effort, an LDR-organized
program that makes it possible for college students to volunteer
their spring break time to help in the recovery.  This year more
than 800 students from throughout the United States plan to work
in the Gulf Coast region.  About 1,200 participated last year.
     Hanson met last month with members and pastors serving
congregations in Baton Rouge and in the New Orleans area who were
affected by Hurricane Katrina.  They told the presiding bishop
they appreciated the financial gifts sent from throughout the
ELCA and the volunteers who have helped them recover.  They also
asked Hanson to facilitate changes in LDR policy about how its
funds may be used, and to improve overall disaster communication,
including public relations and contact with local disaster
response staff and social ministry organizations.  They suggested
improvements be made in staffing local disaster response in the
wake of a significant disaster.
     "Any system that has been put in place by any organization
-- governmental, religious, local -- has been unable to respond to
the magnitude of this storm in ways that one would hope," Hanson
told the bishops.  Every agency involved has learned some things
that will help in responding to the next disaster, he said.
     Hanson suggested at least two procedures he'd like to put in
place to improve the church's overall disaster response:
+ There should be a churchwide "vehicle" for people to be able to
give financial gifts directly to congregations in a disaster zone
to help them rebuild and repair their buildings, and for overall
financial support, he said.  "The cry out of New Orleans
especially has been, 'We wish our congregations could have been
restored more quickly to being centers of worship and centers of
healing for the community.'  It is not only a response to
suffering, but they see it in light of their evangelical
witness," Hanson said.
+ There should be a larger "table" than LDR to coordinate an ELCA
response to a significant disaster, Hanson said. "LDR can't bear
that alone.  It has to be a table that has capacity to deliver
and make difficult decisions in the middle of a crisis," he said.
     Hanson said he is "inviting a conversation" about improving
disaster response.  "We are committed to improving the system
(and) improving our capacity to respond to congregations,
especially as they seek to continue their ministries of Word and
Sacrament," he told the bishops.

Synod bishops agree, offer 'profound' thanks
     The Rev. Paul J. Blom, bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana
Gulf Coast Synod, Houston, told the conference that he agreed
with Hanson's observations.  Several ELCA synod bishops recently
held a retreat in New Orleans, he said, and concluded that "it
would be helpful for us to think about how we can provide funding
for the renewing and rebuilding of congregational sites
themselves ... because that's the place where people want to come
back together for Word and Sacrament, but also for healing,
renewal (and) community."
     Blom said the synod is looking for "mission partner
congregations," willing to give between $300 and $500 a month for
three years to help "re-launch" some ELCA congregational
ministries in the disaster area.  His synod assembly this year is
planning to collect donations to match a grant from Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans for disaster preparedness training, he
added.  Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a nonprofit financial
services organization based in Minneapolis.
     Blom also held up a check for $50,000, a gift for disaster
recovery from a single donor made to the synod through Lutheran
Social Services of the South, Austin, Texas. Blom paid tribute to
synod pastors who continue to serve in hurricane disaster areas.
Several attended the conference meeting March 3 and shared their
stories with bishops at luncheon meetings.  Blom asked his
colleagues to consider inviting Louisiana pastors to synod
assemblies so they could offer thanks and share their
experiences.
     About 30 bishops planned to go to New Orleans after their
meeting here, to tour the area and meet with LDR staff, Blom
said.
     The Rev. Ronald B. Warren, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern
Synod, Atlanta, leads a synod that includes the Mississippi and
Alabama Gulf coasts, hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.  He offered
"profound thanks" to the conference, adding, "I have been so
deeply moved." Because of financial contributions made directly
to the synod, it was able to pay salaries and benefits for one
year to affected ELCA professional leaders on the Gulf Coast.
The ELCA Board of Pensions waived medical insurance premiums for
area professional leaders for one year, Warren added.
     Warren said it was "incomprehensible" to him that in the
three Mississippi counties on the Gulf Coast, 62,000 single-
dwelling homes were destroyed by Katrina.  He said he was proud
of LDR's efforts there and expressed thanks for the organization.
     A crucial issue is property insurance costs on the Gulf
Coast, Warren said.  Premiums have increased significantly,
affecting congregations' ability to pay for insurance, he said.
     The Rev. Edward R. Benoway, bishop of the ELCA Florida-
Bahamas Synod, Tampa, said many congregations in that synod have
the same problem.
     In April the ELCA Church Council is expected to receive a
report and recommendations on insurance alternatives.  A
churchwide task force has been exploring the possibility of
creating a "captive insurance" or risk-sharing program to offer
property and casualty insurance coverage to congregations and
synods of the ELCA.

Much work remains on the Gulf Coast, says LDR leader
     "While many in the country already may have forgotten or
want the nation to forget the tragedy and move on, some of us
recognize that a great human tragedy is still unfolding," said
Heather L. Feltman, LDR executive director, and director, ELCA
Domestic Disaster Response, in a report to the conference.
     "Many people -- men, women, children, the elderly and
disabled, the poor, low-income and middle-income families -- have
been emotionally, physically, psychologically and economically
devastated.  As this church, we must not be part of the society
lulled into forgetfulness," she said.
     Feltman cited LDR statistics from five Gulf Coast states --
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.  The
statistics were compiled from the 2005 hurricane season through
January 2007:
+ 22,918 volunteers from across the ELCA traveled to the Gulf
Coast to assist in recovery work and stayed in Lutheran volunteer
camp sites.  Their work totaled nearly 1.1 million volunteer
hours, equaling $17.3 million worth of in-kind service.
+ Through LDR 6,458 homes were gutted and repaired, and 850 homes
have been rebuilt from ground up.
+ More than 8,000 families have received case-management services
through LDR's network.
+ Nearly $17 million in LDR funds have been distributed to the
Gulf Coast region.  Another $8.3 million is budgeted for 2007
response.
     In addition, ELCA hunger funds were used for program
outreach in New Orleans' Ninth Ward, and case management funds
through "Katrina Aid Today" will have served 11,400 households by
later this year, Feltman said.
     Feltman cited three continuing challenges: care for
thousands of potentially "ravaged, displaced and traumatized
children;" preparing for future disasters through LDR's 40
affiliated social ministry organizations; and balancing the needs
of congregations -- supporting and helping them repair and
rebuild church buildings while assisting them in carrying out
disaster response ministry in the neighborhoods they serve.
     More than $2 million has been made available through LDR
since 2005 for local disaster preparedness training, she added.
     "For the sake of facilitating change for effective
preparedness, I look forward to being part of the process Bishop
Mark Hanson has recommended and having you share suggestions for
improving this church's response should such a catastrophic event
take place again," Feltman said in concluding her report to the
conference.
---
     Audio of comments by Heather L. Feltman is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/070305a.mp3 on the ELCA Web site.
     Audio of comments by the Rev. Paul J. Blom is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/070305b.mp3 and of comments by
the Rev. Mark S. Hanson is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/070305c.mp3 on the ELCA Web site.
     Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is at
http://www.ldr.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog