A Word on Haiti from the Disciples of Christ General Minister's Office

Todd Adams, Associate General Minister and Vice President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has set out a message on behalf of the General Minister's office.  He notes that Sharon Watkins is currently on sabbatical, but is watching closely the situation.  He also includes a link to Week of Compassion, where donations can be made.  100% of all donations through Week of Compassion will get to in-country relief efforts.   I share with you this statement:

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January 14, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing this message on behalf of our General Minister and President, Sharon Watkins. Even though Sharon is on sabbatical, she has been keeping a close eye on the situation in Haiti.

Sharon and I request your prayers for the people of Haiti, for our Global Mission Partners, and our missionaries who need not only our prayers, but also our resources. I also request your prayers for Dr. Glen Stewart, Regional Minister of the Christian Church in Tennessee, who is in Haiti with a delegation from the Tennessee region.

At the time of writing, they are safe and have arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. My understanding is that the U.S. State Department and the Tennessee Congressional Delegation are working to arrange their return. At the same time a delegation from the Oklahoma and the Great River Regions are on the other side of the island in the Dominican Republic. While they felt the earthquake, they did not have any damage.

In addition to these groups, I would urge you to pray for the Haitian communities within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We have about 100 Haitian churches. These are anxious days and moments for many of them who have family and friends on the island. Charlie Wallace from New Church Ministries has traveled to be present with our Haitian churches in Florida.

As you can imagine, communication to and from the island is very limited. Week of Compassion, Global Ministries and others have been using all of their available resources and technology to connect with our missionaries and partners.

Yesterday afternoon, Rev. Amy Gopp, Minister of Compassion, participated in a phone call with Church World Service. This conference call provided additional information regarding the resources, needs and opportunities for service.

If you or your congregation are compelled to offer financial resources in support of our relief efforts and our partners, I invite you to give at www.weekofcompassion.org or send a check to Week of Compassion, 130 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204; noted for Haiti or earthquake relief. Week of Compassion has already sent an initial grant to Global Ministries / Overseas Ministries in support of our missionaries and partners, as well as Church World Service.

Week of Compassion and Global Ministries are trying to keep their websites as up to date as possible and I encourage you to check them frequently.

Your partner in prayer,

Rev. Todd Adams
Associate General Minister and Vice President