Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, leader of the West Virginia Conference, offers a prayer for flood victims.
LINDA UNGER
General Bd of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) asked for prayers for residents of West Virginia impacted by severe weather and flash flooding since late last week, and who remained vulnerable to new flooding yesterday. “Please continue to keep the people in West Virginia in your prayers, where flooding has caused havoc,” said the Rev. Jack Amick, Senior Director of UMCOR Disaster Response.
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, episcopal leader of the West Virginia Annual Conference, herself issued this prayer.
Oh God, hold your children of West Virginia in your strong arms once again. You know the loss, the crisis, the chaos, the pain that is being experienced by those affected by storm and flood. In the midst of this adversity, please be very present with the families and the communities who have been devastated and are searching for things and for answers. Remind them that you are present and reveal yourself to them in ways and through people which bring them comfort, strength, and hope. Assure them and us that you are in control, no matter what. We thank you Lord, for your love that will not let us go.
Wrap your arms of love around those who are in shock and pain; those who are in the midst of fear and doubt. Help us to both experience your presence and resurrection power; and to be the body of Christ, the light and life of Christ, to those who feel lost.
It is in the name of Christ, Your Son, our Savior that we pray this simple prayer believing in Your power to bring all Your people through the storm, into recovery, new life, healing, hope, and peace. Amen!
How can the people of the Michigan Area “wrap arms of love around” this disaster. Here are three ways to respond:
Join Bishop Ball in holding the survivors and those still in harm’s way in your prayers.
- Send contributions to the West Michigan or Detroit Conference Treasurer designated UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response #901670 West Virginia Floods 2016
- Cleaning buckets and health kits are always needed. You can find instructions on how to prepare them here.
- Do not send unrequested material donations. And do not self deploy. Resist the urge to jump behind the wheel and drive to the disaster site.
- Until volunteers are needed in West Virginia, consider volunteering in other locations that are ready to receive your help (click here for a list of projects)
Greg Forrester, who leads UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response work, said he and Amick have been in contact with the disaster response team of the West Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church since the emergency began June 24.
Forrester underscored that the situation in the most severely affected counties in the state is still one of search and rescue.
Forrester urged those anxious to help, “No Early Response Teams (ERT) are to deploy to West Virginia at this time. You will be needed in the future, but not now. First responders need to do their work, including the ongoing search for survivors.”
He said that UMCOR would share a notification when the West Virginia Conference is ready to invite ERTs to assist in recovery efforts. Until then, he urged the UMCOR-trained ERTs and all individuals of good will to not risk getting in the way of first responders and using up needed resources.
Preparation is key
Forrester indicated that the West Virginia Conference had taken significant steps in recent months to prepare to respond to disasters such as this one. Earlier this year, UMCOR helped the conference set up a relief-supply depot, so there were already 1,400 cleaning buckets and 200 health kits on hand, ready to be distributed after torrential rains caused massive flooding and destruction late last week.
He said another 500 cleaning buckets are en route from another depot in Tennessee, and that an additional 1,500 cleaning buckets and 1,500 health kits will soon be on their way to West Virginia from the UMCOR Relief-Supply Network.
Underscoring the importance of preparation, Forrester noted that the West Virginia Conference had taken the additional step of getting its district disaster response coordinators trained, and that UMCOR had supplied a grant that helped them accomplish this.
The conference disaster response coordinator, the Rev. Dan Lowther, said that trained local United Methodist volunteers are responding well despite the challenges presented by the extensive damage the storm and flooding have caused.
In addition to the training and new relief-supply depot, the West Virginia Conference also recently had put a new communications system in place. “It all worked just as we’d planned,” Lowther said.
The state of West Virginia received a federal disaster declaration for the counties most heavily impacted by the flooding — Greenbrier, Roane, and Nicholas. At least 500 homes were severely damaged or destroyed in Roane County alone, and at least 23 people are known to have died in the storm and floods.
Last Updated on November 2, 2023