Covenant News

The Day After - How Churches Are Responding

CHICAGO, IL (September 12, 2001) - Reports continue to arrive from various Evangelical Covenant churches sharing information on parishioners and ministry efforts to reach out to members of their local communities following Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

Pastor Jerry Mosby of Pilgrim Covenant Church in Bronx, New York, said a number of his parishioners work in and around the downtown area of New York City. Mosby was unable to obtain much information on those members as he spent the day in downtown New York City counseling individuals grieving the loss of family and friends or others who were injured. Mosby serves as a police chaplain for the city. The pastor said his church was a voting site for the 16th District in the primary election - a number of people were at the church when planes struck the World Trade Center.

Fifteen miles away from Manhattan in Montclair, New Jersey, pastor Dan Shaw reported all members of his parish safe. However, members reported knowing many people who worked in the trade center. Shaw requested prayer for wisdom and guidance in ministering to that local community.

A young man who is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Paxton, Illinois, was spared from certain death after a last-minute change in business plans prompted him to cancel his ticket on one of the ill-fated planes departing from Boston. Michael Kellerhals, a graduate of North Park University, was scheduled to be on the flight from Boston California - one of two that crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Youth pastor Jim Condap of the Covenant Church of Easton, Connecticut, spent the day counseling local high school students who lost parents and loved ones in the terrorist incidents. Senior pastor Craig Carlson also ministered to those in need. All members of that congregation who work in New York City have been accounted for, the pastor reports.

A number of members from Ocean Hills Covenant Church in Santa Barbara were vacationing in the New York City area at the time of the disaster, but all are reported safe, according to pastor Chuck Wysong. "Unfortunately, we did have a family who had a sister-in-law on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania," Wysong said. "We are surrounding them with lots of love and prayer. What a tragedy."

A Covenant minister serving as a U.S. Navy chaplain in Singapore reported calm and order in the area in which he and his family live. "Although military personnel and bases are on the highest alert, my family and I are safe," said Jeff Saville.

"The entire bay area is under tight security now with many malls closed as well as the government buildings," Pacific Southwest Conference Supt. Evelyn M.R. Johnson reported late yesterday. She noted that many office buildings in inner Los Angeles also were closed following the terrorist attacks. "We join you in prayer. I sent an email to all of our conference churches with President Palmberg's call to prayer, and asked especially for prayer for our sister churches in the New York area and East Coast Conference in general."

"While our community has been and will continue to feel the impact of the New York City attacks, we are not directly affected through the families of the church," reports pastor Eric Hillabrant of the United Covenant Church in Wilton, Connecticut. "I have one parishioner who has two daughters in New York City and they both are fine. The expanded crisis committee will meet tomorrow to see where we are at. We do have many commuters in the town and I am sure we will see some tragic situations."

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

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