We have all watched the news and seen the devastation that Hurricane Harvey brought to the greater Houston area.
During the ordeal Steve Jones, President of the Missionary Church, and Jose Mendez our Cultural Ministry Director and Houston District Director, were in daily contact receiving updates. The national office has continued to be in contact with Jose Mendez and the leaders of our churches to determine the best ways to assist.
In the past few days we have been able to assist in getting the necessary documentation in order for three of our churches to become centers for distribution of food and other resources in their neighborhoods. Already ten pallets of supplies have been unloaded at one church with more to come.
Missionary Churches in Texas like River City Community Church have already been able to get some much needed equipment and assistance to some of our Houston area churches. Work teams have already been active and others will be going in the next few weeks to assist.
But our churches need your help. Several churches had one to two feet of water in their buildings causing damage to air conditioning units, office equipment, flooring and portions of walls. Some of these churches are far from normal flood zones by as much as 50 miles so they do not carry flood insurance and will receive no help in flood related damages.
There is also opportunity for our churches to minister to those around them. That’s why they are opening their doors for people unable to return to their homes and are providing distribution of food and other necessities. Our churches can use your assistance with this as well.
We need to help, and we need YOUR help to do it!
Steve Jones is urging ALL of our churches to collect offerings or to donate immediately from your church’s resources to aid our hurting churches in the Houston area. Each person can give directly. Every dollar you send will go directly toward hurricane relief as our brothers and sisters in the Houston area struggle to regain their footing, and not one dime will be used for any other purpose!
We have set up two options for giving:
- Emergency Assistance to Houston-area Missionary Church Pastors and Churches (Account #T-135)
We want to help our godly brothers and sisters who have lost so much, including church buildings in immediate need of repair.
- Emergency Community Assistance (Account #T-132)
Our local churches will funnel immediate relief to the communities in which they are located, enabling them to rise to the occasion, bringing the love of Christ to their own neighborhoods. Our own churches will distribute not only food and resources, but also the gospel as they develop relationships with needy people in their communities. While all of us admire the efforts of the Red Cross and others to do large-scale disaster relief, imagine how the Lord could use the opportunities our own churches have to build relationships while providing relief to lost people in their own mission fields!
When giving, please indicate on the check and paperwork the exact amount you want to go to Account #T-135 or Account #T-132 (which will be administered through Houston-area MC churches). Any donations without an account number designated will go to community assistance rather than direct relief for our churches.
Contributions may be done by sending a check to Missionary Church, PO Box 9127, Fort Wayne, IN 46899 or online at mcusa.org/product/disaster-relief/ where you can give by credit card and indicate in the Additional Note section how you want your funds designated.
Continue to pray for our Houston area brothers and sisters. Pray also for those in the path of Hurricane Irma. Early reports from Puerto Rico indicate some wind damage, areas of flooding with power outages. The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Florida will all be experiencing the effects of Irma in the next few days.