To: ALL OIMC CLERGY, LAY MISSIONERS, POINT OF CONTACT
LEADERS AND LAITY
FROM: Rev. Margaret Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop
DATE: October 10, 2024
SUBJECT: Hurricane Helene and Milton
As you are aware, many in the destructive path of the two hurricanes are experiencing loss from its high winds and catastrophic flooding. Power outages, flooding and road destruction have increased the difficulty of rescue and assistance. The news has daily updates with climbing death tolls and struggling communities.
Bishop Laura Merrill is in touch with those conferences, as well as UMCOR leadership. Oklahoma Conference has good guidelines to follow for disaster response -STAY. PRAY. PAY.
Stay
While rescue is going on, Early Response Teams are asked to wait for deployment. Teams are invited by the affected conference when they are ready for help. We can send teams that have been trained for this work. Some untrained participants can join the team, but we suggest receiving training at our next event, Nov. 9 at First UMC in Okmulgee. For more info, go to http://www.okumcmissionokume-disaster-response. ALSO, there is a flyer on our website/fb.
Churches may also prepare UMCOR Hygiene Kits.
Pray
The news is disheartening, and the response and recovery effort will be lengthy. Your prayers for God’s guidance, protection, and empowering love are needed for our suffering sisters and brothers, as well as those providing for them.
Pay (Donate)
Finally, the best way to donate for United Methodist response is through UMCOR’s US Disaster Response Advance #901670. You can be certain that UMCOR is funding immediate needs and will be working with each conference for their larger recovery needs. All donations will go directly to response and recovery efforts.
To support this and other U.S. disaster response efforts, give here.
Let us hold these people in our prayers in these coming days and months. Recovery does not come overnight.
I am praying for each church to take up special offerings and offer prayers for those affected by the two hurricanes. If you will send your offering to the conference office it can be mailed to UMCOR and churches could put together hygiene kits, as well as, cleaning/flood buckets. Please watch the video put together by our Bishop Merrill -on our website and facebook.