Mennonite Central Committee

Local Anabaptist leaders, MCC and MDS staff meet in Louisiana

October 4, 2005

MCC and MDS staff, along with church leaders and members of Anabaptist congregations in the New Orleans area, are meeting this week in southern Louisiana to continue the process of assessing damage and planning further responses to Hurricane Katrina.

The needs are tremendous, reported Rolando Santiago, executive director of MCC U.S. in a telephone call to Lynn Roth, coordinator of MCC's response to the hurricane. There is a need for everything to help church and community members to rebuild their lives, Santiago told Roth.

Santiago spoke highly of local leadership for the effort and church communities' capacity to guide participants in the rebuilding process.

On Monday, the group went to the site of Garifuna Evangelical Church and put tarp on the roof to protect it from further damage. After praying and going to several church members' homes to salvage items and view the damage, they met at Amor Viviente church in Metairie to discuss the needs of congregations and how they might respond.

On Tuesday, the group was planning to go to Comunidad Cristiana Internacional of Harahan, Louisiana, and likely Amor Viviente. Wednesday, Roth said, the group plans to meet with people involved in groups of Native Christian Fellowship, which has a building in the Houma area and cell groups south of Houma.

Roth asked for prayers for the congregations and for the team as they continue the emotional process of assessing damage and determining the proper response, even as congregations are working through their losses.

Participants who planned to take part in the meetings include Blanca Mackay of Amor Viviente; pastor Lawrence Velàsquez, Gerardo Najar Leonel Alcerro and co-pastor Jaime Rodas of Comunidad Cristiana Internacional (CCI); pastor Ubencio Arzú and Liza Norales of Evangelical Garifuna Church; pastor Cornelius Carroll of Abundant Life Christian Church; pastor Steve Cheramie Risingsun of Poarch Community in Atmore, Alabama, and Native Christian Fellowship in Gretna, Louisiana; and J.D. Landis representing Good News Fellowship of Churches. MDS representatives included executive director Kevin King, as well as Gerald Klassen and Dan Miller. MCC representatives were Santiago and John Stoesz.