 Presbyterian Leaders’ Forum  Friday, March 26, 1999
A Message from the Moderator Out of Chaos, Hope I was about to click the remote to turn off the evening news and go to sleep when the reporter did a segment on the earthquake in Columbia, South America. The pictures were graphic and heart-wrenching! The devastation was enormous! The estimated number of people killed and injured was shocking! It was enough to keep anyone awake. I immediately offered a prayer for those faced with this horrible disaster.Over the past several months, there has been an unusual number of such disasters, both in our own country and around the world. Whenever and wherever they occur, our Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is always quick to respond and helps bring hope out of chaos. Last year alone, we responded to disasters in 25 states, giving a total of $1.1 million. We responded to natural disasters and communal violence in 40 countries, giving a total of $2.2 million. At the close of 1998, $1.1 million had been received in response to the Hurricane Mitch appeal, and $928,500 had already been sent to our partner churches in Central America to help in disaster response. When a disaster occurs in the United States, we always work with the impacted presbyteries. When it occurs in another country, we work with our mission personnel, our partner churches, and ecumenical agencies. In addition to sending money and supplies, we also send volunteer disaster recovery teams. Over 500 of our PC(USA) congregations have formed volunteer work teams, and currently there are opportunities for such work groups in several Central American countries. Through Church World Service, we participate in sending volunteer medical teams and currently there are eight such teams working in Central America. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is part of our Worldwide Ministries Division of the General Assembly and receives its funding from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and from designated gifts for specific crises. It is extremely gratifying to know how responsive we Presbyterians have been to our sisters and brothers who face a disaster. I salute our Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program and urge you to give generously when the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering is taken in your congregation (around Easter) and when special appeals are made. This is a story that needs to be told to every one of our congregations. As Marj Carpenter would say, “It makes you sinfully proud to be a Presbyterian!” Douglas Oldenburg |
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| The Presbyterian Layman March/April 1999 | ||
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