Q-C churches make plans to battle disasters

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By Mary Louise Speer | Saturday, January 27, 2007 1:06 AM CST | () comments

The likelihood of area churches experiencing a crisis due to physical peril or terrorism may seem remote.

But disasters can strike close to home as parishioners of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church of Iowa City know. The church is being demolished after losing its roof and steeple to a tornado last April and some people in the greater community are still dealing with the aftermath.

“One of our long-term goals was to get churches united in a coordinated effort to do disaster planning,” says Mike Taylor, chairman of Davenport Grace Lutheran Church’s disaster response team.

Today, church leaders and lay leaders are invited to attend a workshop on congregational crisis/disaster preparedness at Grace Lutheran. The workshop is open to all congregations who want to put a crisis plan together.

Faith communities have to focus on their own recovery first, before they can assist the greater community. One only needs to think of what happens on an airplane when flight attendants demonstrate how to put on airbags in case of loss of oxygen, said the Rev. Michael Stadie, the Lutheran Disaster Response coordinator for Iowa. People onboard are told to put their own breathing apparatus first before helping someone else, he said,

Stadie’s job takes him into communities like Iowa City so he can help address long-term needs. Those are felt especially hard in places that are not declared federal disaster areas, he said.

Grace Lutheran’s team is still defining what its special strength or role would be in case of an emergency in Davenport, Taylor said. The church is too small to serve as a feeding or sleeping site. But members could possibly collect canned goods or blankets, provide spiritual care or referrals to community agencies. The final decision will depend on what they can realistically put together in terms of time and talent, he said.

The structural damage to St. Patrick’s church is only a single example of what can leave a congregation reeling. Some of the potential scenarios are hazardous materials spills, fire, mass illness such as the flu, or severe freezing temperatures, he said.

Very few faith groups have a set of specific emergency guidelines in place, Taylor said. In case of emergencies, having a written plan would help guide church leaders through what needs to be done to restore normalcy. It could also help them deal with unforeseen consequences, he said.

Having churches band together would help deepen the amount of assistance available in case of large scale crises. “We’re hoping we can get churches on board and to be willing to meet periodically and share ideas,” he said.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.

If you go

The Congregational Crisis/Disaster Preparedness Workshop is open to ministers and lay leaders and the event is free.

The workshop takes place from 1-3 p.m. today at Grace Lutheran Church, 1140 E. High St., Davenport. Pre-registration is not required.

The workshop is sponsored by Churches United of the Quad-City Area, Grace Lutheran, Lutheran Service in Iowa, an affiliate of Lutheran Disaster Services and the Illowa Lutheran Coalition.