PDA Augmenting the Work of the Mississippi Presbytery

PDA: Augmenting the Work of Mississippi Presbytery
As of this posting, some 6+weeks after the hurricane, we are still in the early phases of the response and recovery effort. Much of the infrastructure is up and running, e.g., phones, electricity, natural gas and roads are up and operational through large parts of the Gulf Coast region. Having said that, there are still areas that are not operational and the National Guard allows only limited access to some areas, and that is to residents only, if at all. PDA has a number of gifts, skills and resources that it hopes to bring to the Presbytery of Mississippi as part of the response and recovery plan. Some of the emerging needs that PDA hopes to augment are:

• Work alongside the Presbytery and its Disaster Task Force (as of October 13, their Disaster Administration Commission) to put together an effective disaster response and recovery plan. This is both for the short and long term.


• Work with the Presbytery to develop, implement and promote the “Adopt a Church” program.


• Working with the Board of Pensions, develop a plan to ensure the pastors of affected churches receive full pay and benefits through 2005 and into 2006.


• PDA will build and manage residential Volunteer Villages that will enable volunteer groups to have a place to stay while working along the Gulf Coast.


• Develop partnerships with churches that are housing volunteers on their site and assist them as they work with volunteer workgroups.

Work with the Presbytery and its Hurricane Katrina Administrative Commission
From the first days the Rev. Al Thompson was on site, he began networking with pastors and elders within the Presbyteries of Mississippi and South Alabama to establish a positive working relationship. Since I arrived on the scene, I have also been working hard at establishing positive working relationships with pastors and elders and staff within the Presbyteries. I have been received very warmly by the Rev. David Snellgrove, the Executive Presbyter, the Rev. John Dudley, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery, Dr. Bubba Martin, Moderator of the Presbytery, George Bates, the Chair of the Hurricane Katrina Administrative Commission. While not an exhaustive list, we (I)  have been well received by others within the Presbytery as well, including Linda Bates who has been working, along with George, tirelessly at Bay St. Louis. Pastor George Barnett has also been very welcoming and will be a great partner in working in Long Beach and so has the Rev. Chas Jones at Diamondhead and the Rev. Tim Brown at Ocean Springs. I have also been welcomed by the Rev. Chris Bulloch and Elder Pete Bloss from Westminster Gulfport. Again, this list is not exhaustive of those who have welcomed us (me) into Mississippi but it is representative and I am very grateful to them for letting me draw alongside as partners and colleagues in ministry and mission.

Right now, the Presbytery of Mississippi and the Gulf Coast are in the very early stages of response and recovery. Truth be told, it will take years to recover. While churches are willing to house volunteers today and many others are willing to “do what it takes” to get needed and necessary supplies to those that need them, over time, these good intentions tend to wane. It will take a different kind of response to make it all the way through to the end.

By September 6, there were PDA Team and other staff on the ground, moving forward to augment the work of the Presbytery in their response to Katrina. The Rev. Kelly Allen, pastor, First Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO, and the Rev. Al Thompson, pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, TN, Beverly Cooper, Greensboro, NC were beginning to network with members of the Presbyteries of Mississippi and South Alabama and St. Andrew (northern Mississippi), as well as the Synod of Living Waters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Church World Service (CWS), the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), and the Mississippi Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MVOAD).  These organizations will play a vital role with the Presbytery and particular churches as the launch a long-term recovery plan.

The Presbytery of Mississippi held its stated meeting just about a week ago and at that time, the Administrative Commission was duly elected. Now that it is “official,” I look forward to a positive working relationship with the Commission.

Work with the Presbytery, to develop, implement and promote the “Adopt a Church” program.

South Alabama Presbytery has taken the lead on this important area of churches helping churches for the long haul of recovery. Actually, it began as churches helping churches but has now been expanded to churches, Presbyteries and Synods helping churches. As of early October, over 60 churches have adopted the 10 affected churches along the Gulf Coast, pledging to help not only financially, but to send volunteer work groups to the churches to assist them rebuild. Actually, 2 other churches have been added to this list bringing the total number of churches in the Adopt A Church program to 12. Burt Hinson is the contact person and can be reached at (251) 626-9049 if you would like more information as to how your church could be involved in a significant ministry of hope.

Working with the Board of Pensions, develop a plan to ensure the pastors of affected churches receive full pay and benefits through 2005 and into 2006.

In a partnership between the affected churches, the Board of Pensions, PDA, the Presbytery of Mississippi and the Synod of Living Waters, the pastors of the affected churches will be paid their full salary and benefits through 2005 and into 2006. The losses suffered at the hands of Katrina are so severe. PDA is working to ensure that these caregivers are paid their full salaries during this time of transition. It is my understanding that the details of this program will be managed by the Synod of Living Waters.

PDA will build and manage residential Volunteer Villages that will enable volunteer groups to have a place to stay while working along the Gulf Coast.

Volunteer groups are flocking into the area to help the residents along the Gulf Coast begin the rebuilding process – not only rebuilding structures, but rebuilding lives as well. It was obvious to all that soon people would be migrating south to help our neighbors clear out their houses in preparation for the repairs that have to be made. The problem. There are not nearly enough places to house the many volunteers that will be coming to the Gulf Coast.

We all remember the devastation caused by the Tsunami in Indonesia. The tsunami surge was so great; it destroyed many of the homes and hotels in that beautiful part of the world.  When volunteers began to come into the region to render support and aid, there wasn’t housing for the volunteers to stay. Very quickly, under the vision and leadership of Norwegian Church Aid, tent cities were erected to provide housing for the many volunteers who came to help in the disaster response and recovery. Similarly, the devastation along the Gulf Coast, essentially from Mobile (and now, due to Hurricane Rita) to the Texas coastline was so great and, as they say, “There is no room at the Inn”. So, a decision to erect Volunteer Villages was born and Gary Payton from Sandpoint, ID was brought in and tasked to locate potential sites and get the volunteer villages up and running. The first Village, located in Gautier was up and running on September 12, only 7 days after PDA was on site (see the next posting for more on the development of the Volunteer Villages).

Initial Response

That which follows is more of a broad brush summary of events and probably an overly simplistic explanation of the sequence of events that began the response and recovery efforts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast -- msw

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team members were on the ground 6 days after Katrina slammed onto the Gulf Coast and worked her way well north into the Ohio Valley. While the devastation was greatest along the coast, significant damage from the sting of the storm was felt hundreds of miles to the north. To be sure, in Hattiesburg where the Presbytery of Mississippi office is located, did not escape her terror. The Rev. John Dudley, Stated Clerk for the Presbytery had to climb over downed pine trees to get into the Presbytery Office when he first ventured onto the scene. In addition to the incredible number of homes and businesses were lost, the damage to the infrastructure made movement throughout the Presbytery virtually impossible. Land lines and cell phones were without service. Electrical grids were slow in coming up to speed.  Commonly traveled roads were at an impasse. The response of governmental and prominent voluntary agencies was slow at best in implementing a response. In fairness, this was in large part due to the fact that the US had never experienced such a large scale disaster before. At the time of the hurricane, the Presbytery was without an Executive Presbyter. The Presbytery did not have a Disaster Plan. Chaos and uncertainty were running rampant. Everything came to a screeching halt.

Immediately, there were two powerful signs of hope emerging from the chaos. First, the Rev. Steve Bryant, pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Vicksburg,  launched an initial response to the Gulf Coast by mobilizing resources, not only from his church, but from contacts throughout the Presbytery as well as from around the country. Quickly, they began sending generators, water, chain saws and other equipment and supplies to the Gulf Coast, primarily thought the Diamondhead Presbyterian Church. They were instrumental in meeting immediate needs for food, shelter, water. The churches and the Presbytery are always “on the point” in all phases of the response and recovery effort. The work which began within hours of the hurricane and which continues to the present is outstanding, much needed, and much appreciated by the people and churches within the Presbytery of Mississippi.

It is the second powerful sign that will receive much of the focus of this posting and the future postings to come. Through conversations between Dr. Bubba Martin, Moderator of the Presbytery of Mississippi and Samford Turner, Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of South Alabama, our brothers and sisters in Alabama pledged to support Mississippi in the response and recovery effort, for as long as it was needed. Remember, Mississippi Presbytery did not have an Executive, neither could they get into their office, and even if they could have, the phones, electricity and other necessary services were inoperative! The relationship between these two Presbyteries is very strong and appreciated.

On a personal note, there are many other people who have been active in the early response and they are often overlooked. I want to acknowledge their work and honor them as they work so hard among their church members, colleagues, friends and neighbors. The names that follow are not an exclusive list. There are hundreds of people involved in this response. But, from the perspective of this blogger, these some are the real heroes in the effort.

• The Rev. George Barnett, pastor, FPC, Long Beach


• The Rev. Tim Brown, pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Ocean Springs


• The Rev. Curt Burge, Temporary Supply, Hansboro PC, Gulfport


• The Rev. Chris Bulloch, pastor, Gautier


• The Rev. Roe Callaway, pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Gulfport


• The Rev. Roger Green, interim pastor, FPC, Pascagoula


• The Rev. Ted Hannawalt, pastor, Bay St. Louis


• Roberta Hill, Clerk of Session, Orange Grove Presbyterian Church, Gulfport


• The Rev. Chas Jones, pastor, Diamondhead Presbyterian Church


• Vance Sprague, Clerk of Session, Pineville PC, Pass Christian

Why do I consider these pastors heroes? Because all of these pastors churches and/or their members and friends were affected very significantly by the hurricane. For some of them, their churches have suffered such tremendous damage, that they can no longer meet in the houses of worship. Some of them lost their own homes! To put it another way, for some of these servants, they lost their church, their job, their house and all their possessions and memorabilia! For one of these pastors, all he escaped with was his wife, their two-dogs, and whatever they carried with them in their car as the evacuated the disaster area. And, even 6 weeks after the storm, he and his wife have not yet been reunited with their dogs!

And there are many others to be listed among the pastors above as well. Folks like George and Linda Bates, elders from FPC, Natchez, who have probably spent 75% or more of their time away from their home, living at Bay St. Louis church, serving volunteers meals and supporting them as they have given of their time in service to the Lord and the church. See, as of this writing, there are no restaurants in Bay St. Louis that are operational and the nearest grocery store is probably 30-35 miles away! There are others too. There are many members and friends of congregations within the affected area who spend long, hard hours, serving the members and friends of their churches but also reaching out beyond the church walls to meet human need. People like Frank Cuervo, Fletcher Coker and Hank Holcomb from the Diamondhead Church, Pete Bloss from Westminster, Gulfport, and Fred Hunt, FPC, Gautier. I realize that as I write this, I am leaving out the names of many others who give of themselves tirelessly, selflessly, and without reservation. Their only reward is in knowing that their service is unto the Lord and an occasional “Thank you” from a homeowner, resident or volunteer.

During the first hours and days of the response effort, Susan Ryan, Coordinator for PDA in Louisville, KY, was in contact with the Presbyteries and a plan began to take shape for PDA to come along side to augment and assist the Presbytery of Mississippi, just as we have done in 450+ disasters before Katrina (more will be said of this later). Just as every disaster is a unique experience, so is each response a unique experience. While there are many similarities between disasters, there are many differences also. That is why we approach each disaster as if it was our first.

With churches, members and friends of the Presbyteries of Mississippi and South Alabama, working together in the early phases of the response, and PDA coming alongside by September 6, plans for recovery were launched and underway.

What is Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and what do they do?

The following information on Presbyterian Disaster Assistance are excerpts taken directly from our website www.pcusa.org/pda. It explains more fully what PDA does.  While this information is general in nature, it also applies specifically to our response to Hurricane Katrina. Enjoy…msw





Who We Are
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events.
The purpose of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is to provide a ministry of "relief and response to national and international disasters, aid to refugees and displaced persons, refugee resettlement, and efforts toward development" (General Assembly minutes, 1988, Structural Design for Mission, page 15) This ministry is carried out through ecumenical partnerships, related church agencies, middle governing bodies, and congregations.
Our resources for management and program are provided through the One Great Hour of Sharing as well as through designated gifts made by churches and/or individuals. All program activities undertaken are done in accordance with our strategic vision, our statement of values, and guidance from our elected advisory committee.


Strategic Vision
We recognize that the task before us is to bring God's intended wholeness to disaster survivors so that they may be strengthened and encouraged for the task of rebuilding their communities and livelihoods. . . The task before us is greater than a single organization or program. It requires commitment to and support of the local community, and cooperation with ecumenical and interfaith councils and agencies that are working in the area. Most importantly for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the commitment is to strengthen as much as possible the local church and/or council. Many people and organizations come and go during the course of disaster response and recovery, but it is the local church that can become the enduring witness and reminder that love and support was found, help given, and wounds bound up. Therefore, we commit ourselves to equip Presbyterians worldwide to effectively and efficiently serve disaster survivors in Christ's name so that out of the chaos of disaster they will find hope.
Adopted by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Advisory Committee 2000


Statement of Values

1. All people are created in God's image and God desires wholeness for creation.


2. As Christians, we are called through God's word to show compassion by responding to human need and suffering.


3. As Presbyterians, we work together with other members of the Body of Christ, empowering local church ministry before, during and after disaster strikes.


4. We are called to work with others across cultural and faith boundaries in crisis situations, while witnessing to our own faith.


5. We seek to identify and meet the needs of vulnerable and/or marginalized people.


6. We are committed to a response that meets the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of disaster survivors.


7. We recognize the limited human, financial and natural resources that we have been given are a sacred trust and commit ourselves to responsible stewardship.


8. We seek mutual accountability, clear communication, and timely responses as we share resources with partners in crisis situations.

Adopted by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Advisory Committee 1998




Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance seeks to support and report on disaster responses through the development of networks of Presbyterians who have particular skills and abilities and who are available to provide consultation and support to the response efforts.
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) was organized in 1996 as a resource for the entire Presbyterian family. Made up of volunteers from across the country with experience and training in disaster preparedness and response, the purpose of the team is to:

1. Represent the care and concern of the church


2. Facilitate organization both before and after disaster strikes


3. Identify resources within disaster-affected communities


4. Assess damage and communicate needs


5. Train middle governing bodies and congregations in disaster preparedness and response


6. Minister to clergy and church leaders following a traumatic event

Hurricane Katrina: The Storm of the Century

August 29, 2005. This is a date that will long be remembered along the Gulf Coast. Earlier in the week, Hurricane Katrina came across Florida, leaving a path of damage and debris as she headed into the Gulf of Mexico. In Florida, and in terms of sheer force, Katrina is second only to Hurricane Andrew which wreaked havoc along south Florida in 1992. Many of us remember how destructive that storm was. As Katrina left Florida, she sat in the Gulf, gaining power and strength as she was soaking up the warm Gulf’s waters like a giant sponge. By the time she came onshore near Pass Christian, virtually the entire Coast between Mobile and New Orleans was laid waste. Since 1969, it was Hurricane Camille that set the standard for destruction and devastation. For 36 years, every storm was compared to, and fell way short of Camille. And then Katrina.



We all watched the news on TV. We all stood by and waited, prayed and hoped beyond hope that what had been a category 5 hurricane would lose some of her fury. Katrina did downgrade to a category 4 before hammering the coastline, but it is hard to imagine that a category 5 hurricane would pack any larger punch! After seeing the incredible power of this storm, God forbid a category 5 ever comes onshore!



For those of us serving in Mississippi, we all saw the effects of the hurricane in New Orleans. It is terrible what happened there. At the same time, according to the news media, it is almost as if Mississippi was missed. Trust me. She was not.



I have never been to Mississippi before. Or, Louisiana either for that matter. As I drive through the Mississippi streets of Pascagoula, Gautier, Ocean Springs, D’Iberville, Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, and Diamondhead, one can only imagine how beautiful and peaceful these communities must have been. Today, to the casual eye of people driving along the I-10, it would be easy to wonder just how bad the destruction is. But, by getting off the highway and driving just a little to the South, it doesn’t take long to see just how pervasive and extensive the damages are.



It is not the intent of this blog to be able to cover every event and incident of the devastation and destruction or the response and recovery. These are simply my musings and observations as one who is living and working for a few months in the sacred space of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be serving PDA, the Presbytery of Mississippi, and especially the residents along the Gulf Coast and the volunteers who come from around the countryand are active in their response and recovery efforts. I have taken many of the pictures you will see. Others have been taken by friends and colleagues who share with me the desire to tell the story of Katrina in Mississippi and also the stories of the incredible people who have survived the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States of America. It is an acknowledgement of the wonderful work of those who survived and live along this coast. This blog is also written as a tribute to the many men, women, yes, boys and girls who did not survive Katrina’s wrath. Finally, this blog is written to honor the many volunteers who are woven into the fabric of Hurricane Katrina’s recovery.

A little about Mark White and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

My name is Mark White and I’m an intentional Interim Pastor for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) living in Seattle Presbytery. I am also a member of our denomination's Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) Team with 35 or so pastors and lay persons. These women and men are from around the country and just happen to be some of the most gifted, talented and caring people I could ever hope to serve alongside. PDA was organized in 1996 and most of us on the PDA Team have been members for our 10 year history. At that time, all of us on the team have had personal experience in disaster response and recovery. OUr first gathering met on the one year anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. Over these years, PDA has responded to over 450 natural and human caused disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wild fires, and ice storms. We have also responded to acts of terror and prejudice including school shootings, the burning of ethnic churches, and 911. Sometimes our response has required a human presence; sometimes not. Here is a picture of the PDA Team taken at our Annual Meeting near Portland, Oregon in April 2005 (I'm the one 2nd from the left in the back row).



At the end of June this year, I spent a week in Wolf Point, Montana. At the end of August, I spent a week in the Presbytery of Tropical Florida, 2 days after Katrina’s visit to that part of our country. As I completed an Interim Pastorate in Bremerton, WA at the end of August, PDA offered me a contract to serve in Mississippi as the nature and scope of this disaster is so great. I arrived on the Gulf Coast on Monday, September 19 and will serve here for 3 months or more, augmenting and assisting the Presbytery with their response to Katrina. I was in D’Iberville when Hurricane Rita came onshore in Texas and Lousianna. Presently, PDA has Team members on the ground along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Lousianna and Mississippi.