[StBernard] FIRST-PERSON: Should have called the Baptists

[Westley Annis]

FIRST-PERSON: Should have called the Baptists
Friday, Mar 2, 2007
By John L. Yeats 

 NEW ORLEANS (BP)--An interesting letter to the editor appeared in the March
1 edition of The Times-Picayune, the daily newspaper for the New Orleans
metro. The writer, apparently a Roman Catholic, expressed her frustration,
"I was appalled to see that St. Mark Catholic Church in Chalmette had not
been cleaned out yet. The Archdiocese of New Orleans should have called the
Baptists. They would have cleaned it out, no questions asked, as they have
been and still are doing at other locations in St. Bernard Parish."

This woman's thoughts about calling up the Baptists to get the job done are
a common theme in the New Orleans/St. Bernard/Gentilly area. Southern
Baptist volunteers from every state in the union and some foreign nations
have targeted the mess and destruction in the Gulf Shore areas. They come
with a passion for people and a willing hand to help rebuild. According to
statistics from Operation Noah Rebuild, more than 6,000 volunteers on over
500 teams have given their time and energy and lives toward making a
difference in the New Orleans area.

Her letter to the editor was in response to an article from earlier in the
week. The facility referred to was in violation of city codes because of
debris, high grass and the precipitous rat population. Prior to Hurricane
Katrina, the building was used for a church and school for the St. Bernard
Parish. The facility was also damaged by hurricane-spawned spillage of toxic
chemicals from the Murphy Oil Refinery. A class-action lawsuit is pending on
the liabilities related to property loss.

Some people have a mistaken idea about the devastation that remains in the
New Orleans area. Despite the fact the New Orleans Saints made the NFL
playoffs in January and Mardi Gras was in full swing last month, New Orleans
remains a broken city with a major portion of its population still dispersed
across the continent. There are hundreds of homes still in need of cleaning
and repair. There are thousands of lives still carrying a load of despair
and hopelessness.

Southern Baptists know they are to demonstrate the love of Christ for
people. Their presence is making a profound difference. Although one of
Southern Baptists' six seminaries is located in New Orleans, previously the
community never gave Southern Baptists a second thought. But because of the
acts of kindness demonstrated through Southern Baptist volunteers, we have
gained the attention of the community as people who get things done, who
genuinely care and who want to offer hope to anyone experiencing the
backwaters of lost dreams and lost hope.

While the volunteers are rebuilding structures and sharing hope with
individuals, they also are having an impact on the local churches. The
Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans released information in January
that 31 of its congregations have ceased to exist. The ones that remain are
struggling to sustain ministries. Many are doing so because of relationships
established through the Louisiana Baptist Convention and the North American
Mission Board's Adopt-A-Church program. Adopt-A-Church linked Gulf Shore
congregations with as many as six other congregations in North America for
pastoral support, mission teams and grants. 

Times remain tough in New Orleans and along the Gulf Shore. However, the
Cajuns have learned that if you want to get something done, you should call
the Baptists. 

Thousands of volunteers are still needed. To volunteer, contact Project Noah
Rebuild at noah at NAMB.net or call 1.877.934.0808 or 504.362.4604.
--30--
John L. Yeats is director of the communications team for the Louisiana
Baptist Convention and is the recording secretary for the Southern Baptist
Convention.