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September 16, 2008

Initial reports are sketchy from Hurricane Ike area

New Covenant Presbytery, without power, sets up temporary office

by Shane Whisler
Synod of the Sun director of communications

IRVING, TX — There are no reports from churches in the hardest hit areas of Hurricane Ike’s disaster zone, but churches in Beaumont report minor damage, said Dave Johnson, New Covenant Presbytery’s contact person for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), Monday afternoon.

“(General Presbyter) Mike Cole is heading back to Houston today,” Johnson said. “He will un-board his house and then set up a temporary presbytery office in Clear Lake Presbyterian Church.”

Johnson, an elder at Clear Lake Presbyterian, said that the New Covenant Presbytery office will remain closed this week to let things calm down and so they can begin assessing the damage and needs.

The presbytery office in Houston is undamaged but has no power, according to a report Associate General Presbyter Mary Marcotte phoned in to Mike Cole. Clear Lake Presbyterian, on the southwest side of Houston near the Johnson Space Center, was in an area that apparently never lost power.

New Covenant Presbytery had just gotten started on a full set of plans for disaster preparedness, said Johnson who volunteered to lead the effort.

Johnson, Cole and Lisa Simpkins of New Covenant joined about 18 people from other presbyteries disaster preparedness training event hosted by Synod of the Sun and lead by PDA volunteers in late July.

“Doors opened and then we had that great training at the synod office just in time to help us,” Johnson said.

While they had collected preparedness data from about a quarter of the churches in the presbytery before Ike hit, Johnson said they did have a meeting to implement the plans they had made.

Presbyterian Neighbor News and Presbyterian News Service will publish updates on congregations and recovery plans as soon as they are available. The Synod of the Sun office can serve as a contact for New Covenant Presbytery offices until they are ready to accept calls.
Phone (866) 381-7075 or by email.

Those wishing to respond financially may do so by designating gifts for USA disasters and emergencies, DR000015. Donations may be sent through normal mission giving channels. Gifts by credit card can be made by calling PresbyTel at (800) 872-3283 or online. Checks payable to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can also be mailed directly to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Individual Remittance Processing, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA  15264-3700.

The Synod of the Sun office will accept and hold checks for New Covenant Presbytery if checks are clearly marked “New Covenant” relief in the memo portion. Donations may also be made directly to South Louisiana Presbytery and Mission Presbytery who are helping people recover from Hurricanes Dolly and Gustav earlier this summer.