I live in Central Florida in a bedroom community serving a major metropolitan area. I am writing in the morning of Saturday, October 12, 2024.
During the nighttime hours on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, and the early morning hours of Thursday, October 10, Hurricane Milton, the strongest storm to make landfall in the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Bradenton/Sarasota area since 1921, tore through central Florida like a scythe.
The damage was massive. Flooding, tornados and 100 mph+ winds did their worst.
Homes, businesses and everyone else are digging out, looking for generators, water, gas, ice, food.
Power will be out for many days.
After we got our home secured, with help from our children and neighbors, we found our best routines to get through the next days with the never-ending quest for gas for the generator.
We’re sharing the gas we have so the quest becomes critical.
What are local churches doing to help he people in need?
I began to wonder what my local churches are doing to help the homeless and the very poor in our community in this extremely difficult time.
This morning, October 12, 2024, I surveyed the websites and Facebook accounts of the eight largest and most prominent churches in my town to see their hurricane response.
The results varied.
- The largest Evangelical church had no information about storm assistance to help people on their website. The church did post that activities are postponed so the church is actively posting to its website today…but nothing to help the people except generous offerings of prayer. There was no information on Facebook.
- The largest mainstream Protestant church’s website led with the Fall Festival postponement. Nothing about the storm. Nothing to help people. There was no information on Facebook.
- The second largest mainstream Protestant church’s website offered “Worship Without Power.” They are without power like everyone else. Nothing to help people. Nothing on Facebook.
- The Largest Catholic church offered on its website offered prayers and confessions. Mentioned that there is no power. The website did offer an information session about Florida’s pending amendment making abortion decisions between a woman and her doctor. (They oppose it.) Nothing to help. Nothing on Facebook.
- The second largest Evangelical church has posted that they have no power. Nothing else. Nothing on Facebook.
- The second largest Catholic church had nothing on their website and nothing on their Facebook page.
- The largest Independent church offered cancellations of events. Nothing else.
- The largest Anglican Communion church, on its website, has no direct information on storm assistance. Their Facebook page, however, has six Milton-related posts. This church is calling for volunteers among its members and neighbors to “help with pop-up meals, debris cleanup, distributing necessities. They are collecting supplies like flashlights, batteries, non-perishable foods, tarps, water, baby supplies, etc. to distribute in the community. This church is prepared because on a normal week, they feed thousands of people without charge and have an ongoing relationship with a local elementary school, which mostly serves migrant children, where they distribute supplies on a regular basis.
That’s where my community’s churches stand.
Author’s note: It is important to note that some of these churches have on-going ministries feeding and caring for the poor and homeless. I was looking specifically for immediate information being posted about helping the people of the community following the terrible devastation of Hurricane Milton.
What is the mission of the church?
The mission of the church is defined by its members. The stated mission of all Christian churches is to bring people to the teachings of Yeshua.
What are those teachings:
- Matthew 5:16 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
- Matthew 7:12 “Do unto others what you would have them do to you.”
- Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
What obligations does the church have?
Interestingly, the Bible only charges the church with the spread of the Gospel. (Mtthew 16:15, Matthew 24:14, Matthew 28:19-20)
Where does that leave us?
The church is not obligated nor even recommended to feed the hungry and serve the poor.
However, it is reasonable, I believe, to apply Yeshua’s primary teaching (Love your neighbor as yourself; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.)
It is reasonable, I believe, to see this as a test.
Have churches passed the test?
It is reasonable, I believe, to judge churches by both criteria:
- what they do to spread the Gospel
- what they do to help people in need
If the church is not doing both things to the best of its ability and to the limit of its resources, in my view of the Bible’s teachings, that church has failed.
Many people will have opinions here. I invite you to comment and hope for your comments. I am a public student of the academic study of the Bible and Abrahamic religions.
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