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Abigail Rains
S Puckett
English III Block 4
16 November 2010
Should Faith-Based Organizations be Prepared and Involved in Disaster Relief?
Natural disasters occur frequently throughout the world every year. Many times they
occur in undeveloped countries who have limited resources to respond to the needs of the
victims. Even when natural disasters occur in developed countries, resources from state, local,
and federal governments are often stretched to the limit, depending on the magnitude of the
event. Hurricane Katrina is an example where faith-based organizations filled a tremendous gap
left by government response by providing food, shelter, relief workers, financial assistance, and
spiritual comfort. These services were provided by volunteers affiliated with faith-based
organizations at no cost to local, state, and federal governments. By scriptural reference and
tradition, churches feel that their involvement in time of need is mandated. For example,
Romans 12:13 states, “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”
Therefore, faith-based organizations should be involved in disaster relief in order to assist
survivors in rebuilding, rehabilitation, and providing much needed comfort.
After a natural disaster occurs, many people are in desperate need of recovery. FEMA
(Federal Emergency Management Agency) is the national disaster organization, which organizes
recovery plans (FEMA 5). When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf of Mexico, everything in the
storm’s path was destroyed. This left survivors of the storm hopeless. FEMA was definitely not
ready for this horrific catastrophe. Many faith-based organizations jumped in as soon as they
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were given permission to do so, such as UMCOR, UMVIM, NC’s Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief
Ministry, Lutheran Disaster Response, Catholic Relief Services, and Mennonite Disaster Service.
These organizations are from all different kinds of denominations and beliefs. UMCOR, also
known as United Methodist Committee On Relief is the non-profit organization of the United
Methodist Church, which provides recovery to those in need (UMCOR 1). It trains and
organizes teams to go where disaster affected areas are all over the world. “We partner with
local organizations and survivors to rebuild their livelihoods, health, and homes. In times of
acute crisis we mobilize emergency supplies, fresh water, and temporary shelter to stricken areas,
and then stay as long as it takes to implement long-term recovery (UMCOR 3).” UMCOR
serves those affected by natural disasters and other crisis situations and are devoted to helping
those in urgent need. There is another faith-based disaster relief service organization that is
affiliated with the United Methodist Church called UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in
Mission). “UMVIM exists to promote, encourage, and enable Christians to exemplify “Christian
Love in Action” through short-term mission service in the United States and abroad. By
developing and maintaining relationships with domestic and international leaders, UMVIM
provides opportunities for service (United 1).” Therefore UMVIM can respond to the needs of
the local communities, provide project information, and keep contact with these leaders. To
make service more effective, UMVIM tries hard to match the volunteers’ talents to the right
project (United 2).
Another faith-based disaster response organization is the NC Baptist Men’s Disaster
Relief Ministry. Their purpose is to relieve human suffering caused by disasters by providing
among other things: hot meals, debris removal, child care and family assistance (Baptist 1).
They are committed to making the opportunities for service available. They ensure that every
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NC Baptist who wants to respond can be involved in lessening the needs of people who are
hurting because of disaster (Baptist 3). The ministry provides organization, equipment, and
strategies for committed volunteers to help the individuals and families rebuild their lives and
homes (Baptist 3). The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD)
is another nonprofit organization. National VOAD is a network of organizations who share
information and resources throughout the disaster cycle (i.e. preparation, response, and recovery)
to help disaster survivors (National 1). This organization keeps disaster relief organized and
provides communication and knowledge. Therefore, it’s helping to keep projects from being
duplicated (National 4). Many of the members of the National VOAD have religious
backgrounds and/or are part of faith-based organizations. “Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is
a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran
Church- Missouri Synod (Lutheran 2).” They seek to show Christ’s compassion for people by
promoting hope, healing, and wholeness for disaster survivors (Lutheran 2). After a disaster, the
deep human needs are more than just restoring physical needs; it requires care, hope and love
(Lutheran 2). To help survivors cope with anger, guilt, tests of faith, loneliness, and turmoil,
counseling and understanding is very important (Lutheran 3). Mennonite Disaster Service
(MDS) is another faith based organization that responds to disasters in the United States and
Canada. The Mennonite Disaster Service cleans up, repairs, and rebuilds homes and at the same
time touches the lives of survivors and helps them regain faith (Mennonite 2). Those who are
least able to recover (elderly, handicapped, unemployed or uninsured, etc.) are the main focus of
MDS (Mennonite 5). All of these organizations provide much needed assistance and make the
road to recovery faster for these communities. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is also another
faith-based organization. “CRS' Emergency Preparedness and Response vision is: to promote
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social justice, solidarity and compassion through timely emergency preparedness and response
that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable (CRS 3).” CRS provides help for the poor who
are usually more affected by disasters because they do not have safety nets to rely on in crisis
(CRS 3). Faith-based organizations like these are fully prepared and equipped to respond to
disasters and with the help of the National VOAD and direction from FEMA, these groups’
contribute tremendously to disaster relief.
Faith-based organizations do not require extra government funding for their services.
They are self-funded and staffed by volunteers or those paid by the organization. More can be
done to help those in need because the funding that is used to respond to the disasters is not
solely from the government. During times of disaster, massive numbers of volunteers may be
required, depending on the extent of the damage. Packing flood buckets, health kits, food, and
providing transportation are very important tasks that can be done “behind the scenes”.
Depending on the situation, there may be a greater or lesser amount of people needed on the site,
but there is always work to be done and every volunteer is appreciated. “During disaster
recovery, one of the most important elements is the organization of human beings” (Meinrath
50). Large amounts of supplies and manpower are put into disaster recovery and many people
may not realize that these organizations have a great deal of impact on faster recovery. They are
even more prepared to respond before the disaster and then start recovery immediately.
According to a study LSU’s School of Social Work released, churches and other non-profit
organizations successfully supplemented government shelters at the times of Hurricane Katrina
and Rita (LSU 2). “Congregations currently play a critical role once disasters strike, providing
food, counseling, shelter, transportation and communications to their congregants and their
surrounding communities” (Flory 1). Radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith
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development, risk taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity are the five practices of
fruitful congregation (Swartz 2). The following graphs outline the accomplishments of just one
faith based disaster response agency. The MERCI Center (Marion Edwards Recovery Center
Initiative) is the disaster response agency of the North Carolina Conference of the United
Methodist Church, which was started in 1999 after Hurricane Floyd. Below are statistics of The
MERCI Center through past years (MERCI).
MERCI Center Statistics from 2003-2008
Hours Worked By Volunteers
Number of Hours Worked
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
Hours Worked
* 2003-2006
2007
2008
75,649
16,022
12,369
Value in Dollars
Value of Services Provided
$20,000,000
$18,000,000
$16,000,000
$14,000,000
$12,000,000
$10,000,000
$8,000,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
$2,000,000
$0
Value
* 2003-2006
2007
2008
$17,852,109
$300,730
$241,319
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*Reflects the numbers of volunteers, numbers of hours worked, and value of services provided in response to four
active hurricane seasons in a row and volunteers involved in the construction of the MERCI Center facilities.
The vast numbers of faith-based organizations promote good will and offer comfort to
disaster victims without proselytizing their religious beliefs. Spiritual care is very important. It
is said that spirituality comes from their faith tradition, which gives them a sense of belonging,
meaning and identity (Massey 9). Almost everyone has some sense of spirituality, even if they
are not religious. Anyone who is faced with loss, especially sudden loss that occurs during
disasters, one’s sense of meaning and purpose can be twisted around (Massey 12). In the “Light
Our Way: A Guide for Spiritual Care in Times of Disaster”, The. Rev. John A. Robinson, Jr.
quotes, “A disaster affects the entire fabric of community that existed prior to the event and can
cause traumatic stress among the whole community. Disaster recovery is in large part the
rebuilding of community and the re-tying of thousands of strands of relationships in the fabric of
our being together that have been severed by the disaster” (Massey 11). Faith-based
organizations help provide spiritual care which includes anything to help the human spirit cope
with the disaster. Spiritual care helps the survivors emotionally, helps fill the any emptiness that
they may be experiencing and helps the motivation to move on. Such organizations help in
rehabilitation in the lives of victims physically, socially, financially, and psychologically
(Massey 12). They also help provide emotional and spiritual comfort. Small children sometimes
experience shock from their entire environment being destroyed and the feeling of uneasiness
and insecurity (Massey 12). Many survivors are emotionally unstable from experiencing such
dramatic change in their surroundings in the place that they once called home as well as seeing
tragic events. Faith-based organizations provide support mentally, emotionally and spiritually
that other organizations cannot provide. “The Lutheran Disaster Response Mission Statement
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reads: “To demonstrate Christ’s compassion for people by promoting hope, healing and
wholeness for disaster survivors.” A vital component of this holistic care is the spiritual and
emotional well-being of those affected” (Lutheran 5). This explains the Lutheran Organization’s
reasoning for being part of disaster relief. Guidelines that are used in spiritual care are to offer
presence and hospitality, meet, accept and respect persons exactly as they are and to never
evangelize, proselytize or exploit persons in vulnerable need.
Non-profit, faith-based organizations come together to reach the final goal – to relieve
those in shock after disasters. In an interview with Reverend Dr. Alan Swartz he says, “The
church is the Body of Christ. As the Body of Christ we are to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Can we imagine Christ not reaching out to those whose lives have been harmed by disaster? Of
course not. For this reason the Church, as the Body of Christ will always consider disaster relief
to be a part of the work of Christ that we do” (Swartz 3). Faith-based organizations provide
spiritual, emotional, and physical rehabilitation to the survivor, which helps to regain a healthy
lifestyle (Massey 12). Faith-based organizations strive to be involved in disaster relief to help
those in need and believe that it is their responsibility to do so. These organizations can provide
needs that the government may not necessarily be able to provide.
There are so many different faith-based organizations that set aside their differences and
come together to help those who really need it. Faith-based organizations play a strong role in
response to disasters by providing food, shelter, relief workers, financial assistance, and spiritual
comfort. As a result, they should be given the ability to fully access disaster areas to provide
care to survivors and to be integrated in the overall response plan for dealing with disaster
events.
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Works Cited
"About Us." Welcome to National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. N.p., n.d. Web.
25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nvoad.org/index.php/about-us-.html>.
" Baptist Men and Women on Mission - Disaster Relief." Baptist Men and Women on
Mission - Home. Version 5.5.3817. North Carolina Baptist Men, n.d. Web. 25 Oct.
2010. <http://www.baptistsonmission.org/Projects/Type/Disaster- Relief.aspx>.
" CRS` Emergency Response Program Vision ." Catholic Relief Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct.
2010. <http://www.crs.org/emergency/vision.cfm>.
FEMA. "FEMA: About FEMA." FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency. U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.fema.gov/about/index.shtm>.
Flory, Richard. "Faith-Based Disaster Response Network | Center for Religion & Civic
Culture." Center for Religion & Civic Culture. University of Southern California, n.d.
Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://crcc.usc.edu/initiatives/drn/>.
"LSU Social Work survey: Baton Rouge churches successful." LSU Media Relations. N.p., 3
Nov. 2006. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<appl003.lsu.edu/UNV002.NSF/(NoteID)/22A44FB9875272458625721B00690755?Ope
nDocument>.
"Lutheran Disaster Response - LDR." Lutheran Disaster Response - LDR. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
Oct. 2010. <http://www.ldr.org/>.
Massey, Kevin. “A Guide for Spiritual Care in Times of Disaster.” Lutheran Disaster
Response. National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, 2006. Web. 25 Oct
2010. <http://www.idr.org/care/Light_Our_Way.pdf>.
Meinrath, Sascha. "A Good Communications Network Is Still Needed for First Responders."
Disaster Response. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven P, 2009.
148-156. Print.
Mennonite Disaster Service. " About Us | Mennonite Disaster Service." Home | Mennonite
Disaster Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://mds.mennonite.net/about-us/>.
"MERCI Fast Facts." MERCI Mission Center - NC Conference - The United Methodist Church.
N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.merciumc.org/fastfacts.htm>.
"UMCOR - About UMCOR." Global Ministries - General Board of Global Ministries, United
Methodist Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://new.gbgmumc.org/umcor/about/>.
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"United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction." UMVIM, SEJ. N.p., n.d.
Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.umvim.org/newsite/umvim/webcontent/Pages/about/about.html>.
Swartz, Reverend Dr. Alan. “Disaster Relief Interview.” Message to Abigail Rains. 13 Nov.
2010. Email.