'The Face Of Grace In Action'
United Methodist News Service

As Mississippi begins pulling itself out of the rubble left by Hurricane Katrina, United Methodists have become "the face of grace in action."

"The response of the church has been the face of grace in action," said the Rev. Jeff Pruett of Tunica, the Mississippi Annual (regional) Conference coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. "It has been a reflection of the spirit of care and compassion."The response with food and water has been overwhelming. We've been able to work with other agencies in communities when they were not able to get those supplies."

Rev. Robert McCoy of Baldwyn, the conference United Methodist Volunteers in Mission coordinator, has been scheduling work teams while dozens of Mississippi United Methodist churches opened as shelters before and during the storm. Many of the shelters are still operating as federal and state emergency management organizations seek temporary housing for thousands who lost their homes.

Some congregations planned their response by being certified as Red Cross shelters. Others responded to the need by opening as shelters, or distribution centers to supply shelters. Within 36 hours, the gymnasium and other areas of the church were full of supplies. The Mississippi Conference moved quickly to establish a response organization. United Methodist Committee on Relief representatives are in the state helping set up a phone bank and arrange shipments of supplies and materials. UMCOR also helped secure travel trailers and manufactured homes as temporary residences for pastors in the affected areas.

"I get emotional thinking about what people have done," Pruett said. "FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority) and MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Authority) had plans. This was bigger than those plans had ever imagined. Likewise, God's people responded in ways more than we could imagine."

While acknowledging the efforts of those immediately after the storm, Pruett pointed out that recovery will take years and volunteers will be needed for months."In collecting materials and supplies, we need to be looking long term," he said. "We're looking at tools and materials that will be needed for building such as ladders, hand tools, pressure washers, etc."

Other needs are for flood buckets, containing items needed to begin cleaning a house that has been flooded, and health kits. Information can be found on the UMCOR Web site, http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/kits/. Other information on packing and shipping can be found at that site or by calling the Sager Brown Depot at (800)814-8765.

Churches, groups and individuals are asked to contact the conference office before making deliveries or sending work teams.

Donations to support the United Methodist hurricane response can be made online at www.methodistrelief.org and by phone at (800) 554-8583. Checks can be written to UMCOR, designated for "Hurricanes 2005 Global," Advance No. 982523, and left in offering plates or mailed to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.