Covenant News

Storm Survey Shows Two Churches Badly Damaged

OVIEDO, FL (September 30, 2004) - Efforts continue to assess the amount of damage to Evangelical Covenant Churches in Florida following back-to-back hurricanes that have inflicted billions of dollars in damage.

Two Covenant churches suffered serious damage in the earlier storms (Charley and Frances) with the most recent storm Jeanne inflicting yet more damage, says Southeast Conference Supt. Kurt Miericke.

"The Church in Vero Beach has sustained significant damage and the only usable part of their building is the sanctuary," he notes. "The rest has significant water damage - sheet rock falling and other problems. The temporary repairs to the church's roof from Hurricane Frances could not hold with Hurricane Jeanne. We are trying to asses the damage and have a contractor give us idea of the necessary repairs. So far Pastor Tristan Hohler has not been able to get an insurance adjuster to the site - the church has at least a $10,000 deductible on their insurance. The members are busy trying to get their own homes together and do not have much extra time to work on the church.

"The Royal Palm Church did not get as much damage as Vero Beach, but they have significant roof damage and water damage to their sanctuary and educational wing," he continued. "Mike Rose is the pastor and he and his family are living in a motel since their rental house was condemned. Pastor Jim Black did have some damage to his home - everyone has some damage in these storms. I need a new roof and have temporary patches holding things together." Miericke says efforts continue to speak with someone from the Asbury Covenant church in Tavares to see if that church sustained damage as well.

All remains calm at Covenant Village of Florida, says campus administrator Judy Johnson. "I just finished a walk of the campus and we are very grateful for another period of God's protection on our campus," she writes in an emailed update. Johnson recalled the morning Jeanne approached the Florida coast. "When Hurricane Jeanne was not turning, we went into full hurricane mode - shuttering, calling in the 'A Team.' She had grown in intensity and size . . . and Covenant Village of Florida was in the wind field of at least damaging tropical storm and potential hurricane winds. We got residents to eat an early dinner and sent dining staff home early. Later, we had a crew in every building stay the night.

"We had tropical storm winds all night long with wind speeds in excess of 60 mph," Johnson continues. "Rain came in bands, but since we were on the 'dry' side of the hurricane, we didn't experience much flooding."

Damage to the campus was minimal, Johnson reports, limited largely to trees and branches. "Since we lost so much in the last storm (Frances), we didn't have as many vulnerable trees this time," she notes. "We had flooding in three or four apartment balconies due to the driving rain.

"Thanks for all your prayers," she concludes. As I said earlier, we are very grateful."

Efforts continue to assist Covenant churches in Florida and other states where hurricane activity inflicted damage, according to Jim Sundholm, director of Covenant World Relief. "We are responding and sending dollars," Sundholm reports, "and we will continue to do so." Sundholm requests that individuals interested in donating to the storm relief effort make checks payable to Covenant World Relief, earmarked for hurricane relief, and send them to Covenant World Relief, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.

More information will be posted to this online Covenant news report as it becomes available.

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