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Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the United Church of Christ (UCC) is marking the anniversary with a special litany and calls for prayer. The city of New Orleans has requested that churches across the community offer prayers of thanks and gratitude during Sunday services on August 24 to commemorate the event.
The UCC’s Emotional and Spiritual Care Team has created a litany for congregations to use in remembrance of those affected by Hurricane Katrina throughout the region. The storm, which made landfall on August 29, 2005, remains one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in United States history. It claimed 1,833 lives, caused about $108 billion in property damage, and displaced hundreds of thousands. Floodwaters persisted for weeks from Texas to Florida.
Following Katrina, UCC Disaster Ministries coordinated nearly 15,000 volunteers who contributed over 400,000 hours to recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. These efforts included cleaning out almost 850 houses and rebuilding more than 100 homes. The denomination provided over $6 million in relief funds.
Rev. Shari Prestemon, now UCC Associate General Minister and co-executive of Global Ministries, was executive director at Back Bay Mission in Mississippi when Katrina hit. “Of our seven buildings, only one was salvageable in the end,” said Prestemon. “We didn’t have a paper clip, and the community was looking to us to help them recover in every possible way. Though there was indescribable amount of need all around us, we also had to attend to our own recovery as an organization. And though we lost everything, we never lost our mission.”
Prestemon credited donors for helping Back Bay Mission rebuild without loans: “We didn’t just rebuild exactly the way it was before Katrina. We reimagined the whole campus, and between the federal support, insurance and those donations, we came back. The UCC loved Back Bay Mission back to life.”
Rev. Alan Coe served as disaster coordinator for UCC’s South Central Conference at that time: “They were opening up a defunct mall in San Antonio, to house storm survivors so I volunteered there as a chaplain for a while. Hundreds of people were coming in who had been rescued off their rooftops in New Orleans and across the region. But eventually I was asked to move to New Orleans to head up the UCC disaster recovery there,” said Coe. “And I thought, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to help rebuild an American city, so I started there officially on November 1, 2005.”
Coe described how volunteers from 46 states and eight countries helped clean out hundreds of homes and rebuild more than one hundred residences.
Hurricane Katrina left nine UCC congregations in New Orleans with varying degrees of damage; Central Congregational UCC—a historically African American church—was rendered unusable by flooding but found temporary worship space at St. Matthew UCC nearby. Over time these two congregations merged into Central St. Matthew UCC.
Dale Bonds led Central Congregational at that time: “We had worshipped there just one Sunday,” shared Bonds,“and the next Sunday Katrina happened...It was a natural flow for all to congregate at St.Matthew moving forward...Eventually we formed a committee to investigate merging the congregations.It was a courtship that went on for quite awhile,” Bonds remembers.“I think what helped some of us through this time was volunteering in disaster ministry office for years that followed.” She reflected,“It’s bittersweet time.We lost so many people.I was naive when I came back thinking city would be restored certain amount time.It’s twenty years later still devastation parts city.But bright spots,this home.”
John Etter served on St.Matthew’s board then.His family evacuated ahead storm but returned weeks later finding their home destroyed.Etter noted merger brought new vitality:“It felt spirit with us bringing together.Today we are one few really multiracial UCC churches...Katrina allowed these two churches that were somewhat stale perhaps,and become more lively,to move forward good ways...spirit work what doing.We became stronger together.”
Mary Schaller Blaufuss led Volunteer Ministries nationally:“It shaped way UCC did domestic volunteer ministries.Previous hurricane did ad hoc responses.But after Katrina utilized Partners Service place people certain skill sets areas help rebuild region.This centralized ongoing communication meant could have more impact recovery.We have used system going forward help with disaster response around country.” Blaufuss wrote about theology disaster response issues race,housing,recovery.Her book notes,“Hurricane Katrina…blew open cover embedded racism inequality those places.The UCC’s National Setting felt compelled make strong statement.”
As August 29 approaches,the denomination encourages continued prayer.Churches can access full litany created by Emotional Spiritual Care Team United Church Christ.
