NEW ORLEANS — There’s strength in numbers.
That’s the simple idea behind a new partnership of Presbyterian churches
designed to pool ongoing recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
With volunteers from across the country offering free manpower and supplies after the hurricane, the Rev. Steven Arndt, pastor of Gretna (LA) Presbyterian Church got on the phone and started making connections.
Within weeks of the storm, his church became host to volunteers, many coming from Presbyterian churches out of state, who would spend their days in the back-breaking work of gutting flooded houses.
While setting up accommodations for the work crews and coordinating donations of supplies coming in, Arndt said he learned that other local Presbyterian churches, as well as churches of other denominations throughout the New Orleans area, were working independently with the same goals.
Realizing they could be more effective and efficient working together, some of the churches have created a partnership, called Faith Works, to focus their efforts.
“The name is supposed to show that faith does work, and faith and work do go together,” he said. “We set this up locally to continue our ministry to the community in practical and meaningful ways.”
Most of the volunteers become connected with Faith Works through the
“long-standing friendships between clergy and different churches across the country,” Arndt said.
The Rev. Jim Kirk of the PC(USA)’s Presbyterian Disaster Assistance office said efforts like Faith Works show how churches react at a grass-roots level, putting local expertise to work.
“When an organization comes in from the outside, they may bring a ton of good intention but they don’t have the local knowledge,” Kirk said. “Where Faith Works may not have the work force, they have the local knowledge of where the work needs to be done, and who needs it.
“Why bring in the cost of a new office when you have a pastor like Steve here who is already connected?” Kirk said.
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