Church of God Ministries (CGM) has obtained an updated assessment on the extent of damages to Church of God congregations in Texas from Hurricane Ike. Damages vary from congregation to congregation and range from $5,000 to $40,000. However, reports have not yet been received from Beaumont, Texas, the area hit by the brunt of the storm.

Rev. Tim West, area administrator for Texas, provided the following consolidated assessment of damages.

Efforts continue at Church of God Ministries (CGM) to obtain detailed assessments on the extent of damages to Church of God congregations affected by Hurricane Ike. While some churches have been able to provide initial assessments, contact has remained difficult with several congregations in the most severely affected areas due to power outages, closed roads, and downed phone lines.

“Contact with the Churches of God in Port Arthur, Orange, and Beaumont, Texas, has been difficult,” reports Robert Pettit, hurricane relief coordinator for our churches in Texas. “They were hit hard, and at this time we are unable to make contact to assess the situation. As soon as information is available, we will be able to have a better understanding of what type of response to initiate.”

The following is a letter of update provided by Pastor Don Bergstrom, Houston First Church of God regarding their experience and situation following Hurricane Ike.

Dear Church Family and Friends,

Houstonians who stayed in town will never forget the night of September 12, 2008.  We went to bed (well, some went to bed) not knowing what the morning would bring.  Hurricane Ike was coming, and all we could do was wait…and pray.  Around 1:00 a.m. our power went out (and would remain out for the next ten days, but we were just one of some 8 million homes from the Gulf Coast to Canada that would experience power outages due to Ike).  The sound of wind that rattled our house through the night is permanently etched in my memory!  I’ve been through a few earthquakes.  They hit and then it’s over.  I now know that hurricanes hit - and continue hammering!  I wondered throughout the night if it would ever end. 

Church of God Ministries has advanced Rev. Tim West, area administrator for Texas an emergency distribution of funds to assist our congregations there following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike. But more money will be needed for the relief and recovery operations.

Rev. West has been in close communication with Rev. Obadiah Smith, coordinator for compassionate ministries at CGM. In spite of the difficulties with communications due to phone lines being down, West was able to provide an initial report of the damages from a few churches affected by Ike:

Emergency funds have been sent to church leaders in Orissa, India, to help those affected by the recent violence and persecution against Christians. Church of God Ministries (CGM) staff have been in frequent contact with church leader and Christians Broadcasting Hope (CBH) director Asim Das, and sent the money following his recent report on the situation there.

Das reported that recent attacks against Christians forced families to flee into the jungle for protection after their homes were burned and lives threatened. Seven families have been located and are receiving temporary care while the search for others continues. Das also informed CGM staff that three of our church facilities have been destroyed.

Representatives of the Church of God in Myanmar met with Dr. Paul Maxfield, executive director of Children of Promise, in Manila to receive the funds raised through the collaborative efforts of Church of God Ministries, Children of Promise, and Women of the Church of God. The generous donations of individuals and churches allowed for $70,000 to be given to help the church in Myanmar begin to recover from the devastating effects of Cyclone Nargis.

Fifty thousand dollars is earmarked to make repairs to the church buildings and provide food, water, and shelter for church families and others in their communities. The remaining $20,000 is specifically for families of the Children of Promise program to assist them in rebuilding their homes and obtaining any aid that they need.

By David Farlow

News media reporting out of Kenya indicates the violence is diminishing, but many of the Church of God congregations are still feeling the effects of the turmoil. To address the immediate needs and help alleviate the suffering, Church of God Ministries (CGM) announced today a disbursement from the Disaster Relief Fund to be sent to church leaders in Kenya.

By David Farlow

Church of God Ministries (CGM) continues to maintain communication with Church of God leaders in Southern California to monitor the situation with the wildfires burning there.

David Winn, executive director of the Association of Southern California and Southern Nevada informed CGM that his staff had evaluated the area and determined that there was no apparent damage to Church of God congregations. But Winn also said that could change.