ELCA NEWS SERVICE

December 4, 2012  

Lutheran world leaders visit U.S. areas marred in Hurricane Sandy's wake
12-74-WH

      CHICAGO (ELCA) - In a historic visit, leaders of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a delegation of church leaders
representing The Lutheran World Federation traveled together Nov. 30-Dec.
1 to areas of the United States impacted by storms produced from
Hurricane Sandy.
      Eleven leaders of the ELCA and The Lutheran World Federation met
with about 200 ELCA members, pastors and residents, particularly in New
Jersey and New York, who suffered loss from the storms in mid-October.
The leaders surveyed the destruction and damage of ELCA church buildings
and residential homes. More than 10 ELCA church buildings were severely
damaged, and thousands of ELCA members are still displaced and/or
rebuilding after the storm, which caused an estimated $50 billion in
damage along the northern U.S. Atlantic coast.
      The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, called the pastoral
visit historic. The "dividing walls that have separated the Lutheran
church bodies throughout the world are gone," and the federation and ELCA
are working in tangible fellowship. He said the visit also indicates that
the Lutheran churches in Africa, some among the fastest-growing in the
global church, are standing on their own to come to the United States to
express their care and solidarity.
     "The delegation embodies the presence of the whole of The Lutheran
World Federation with its 143 member churches in order to bring a word of
comfort to those suffering and a message of hope for those rebuilding
their lives," wrote the Rev. Martin Junge in a Nov. 27 letter to Hanson.
Junge is general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation, a global
communion of 143 member churches in 79 countries worldwide. The ELCA is
the communion's only member church from the United States.
      "Through their physical presence the (communion's) delegation
wishes to support the ELCA as it sets out to respond to the spiritual and
material challenges resulting from Hurricane Sandy," Junge wrote.
      "Indeed, there is no church so big, so old, (and) so well-resourced
that it would not heavily depend on the love, care and solidarity of
others. Conversely, there is no church so small, so young and with so
scarce resources that it would not have gifts to share with others. We
wish the accompaniment of the (communion's) delegation to be an
embodiment of these relationships of reciprocity and mutuality that are
constitutive of the gift of being churches in communion, and for which
The Lutheran World Federation stands," he wrote.
      Representing the communion was the Rev. Elisa Buberwa, bishop of
the Northwestern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania;
the Rev. Cindy Halmarson, bishop of the Saskatchewan Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; and the Rev. Dr. Veikko Munyika of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia. The church in Tanzania shares
a companion relationship with the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod, and
the church in Namibia is in relationship with the ELCA New Jersey Synod.
      "I'm a strong believer that we need to do communal public lament,"
said Hanson, in addressing a large group of ELCA pastors at a Nov. 30
meeting in West Hartford, Conn. "People must weep and mourn that which is
no longer, just like in the Book of Lamentations, before they are ready
to relinquish the sadness and move on" from the disaster.
      Hanson also acknowledged the "tremendous strength people have to
hope, and the steadfast love of the Lord that never ceases." A critical
component of the trip, Hanson shared, "is that we accompany you and are
here for you."
      Munyika agreed, adding that television news and images viewed from
afar was one thing, but witnessing it in person is more powerful. "I came
to the United States to do what emails, faxes and phone calls cannot do --
to express solidarity, love and care in person, (and) to listen to the
people who have experienced the reality here."
      Listening to survivors of the storm share their stories was
especially helpful, according to the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, executive
director for congregational and synodical ministries, ELCA churchwide
ministries. "When you see one disaster, you've seen one disaster," he
said. "People's narratives are very important."
      "My heart is here for you. This is a new mission for the church.
Something we learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we can't overlook the
power of the gospel in the community," said Bouman.
      For Halmarson seeing flood-damage areas was overwhelming. The
Lutheran World Federation "has come to the United States to say, 'We're
walking with you.' For the very first time, I will go home and tell them
about the caregivers in New York and New Jersey. We'll keep walking with
you in prayer."
      Buberwa told survivors that this show of the communion's support
was only the beginning. "I will take all these stories and share them
with people at home, and (we) will pray for you. Our prayers are with
you."
      Prayers are only one part of the church's response, said the Rev.
Michael Stadie, who is coordinating the ELCA's disaster response efforts.
Stadie is assessing financial needs and partnering with local Lutheran
social ministry organizations.
      "Our three areas of focus are providing emotional and spiritual
care, volunteer coordination and long-term recovery," he said, adding
that disaster response can come in many forms, such as volunteers mucking
out homes.
      The Rev. Robert A. Rimbo, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York
synod, and the Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop of the ELCA New Jersey
Synod, expressed their gratitude for the pastoral visit, acknowledging
that they would be working together for many months ahead.
      Riley said that the ELCA New Jersey Synod was only beginning to
assess the damages. "Four weeks later, and we're still in the assessment
stage. So many people have been displaced, and two church (buildings) are
so badly damaged. It took weeks to even track people down. We will be
working on recovery for a long time."
      Herb Nellis, a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Keyport,
N.J., is prepared for the long haul of recovery work. The retired truck
driver and small-business owner lost the first floor of his house and was
living in a house offered to him by a friend. "How do I get through
this?" he asked. "Knowing that people care. You think that you've lost
everything in the storm but (then come to) realize that you haven't lost
everything. You have the care and concern of people."
      In addition to organizing relief efforts in the United States, the
ELCA is responding in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy overseas. ELCA
members are providing basic needs such as food, water and shelter in the
Caribbean through ELCA Disaster Response. In Haiti, outbreaks of cholera
have been reported. The ELCA has been working with the Lutheran Church of
Haiti to build capacity in preserving health and wellness related to
cholera.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with 4.2 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across
the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's
work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through
faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world.
The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer,
Martin Luther.

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