Baltimore Baptists Provides Support After Bridge Collapse

April 9, 2024221 views0

Baltimore Baptists Provides Support After Bridge Collapse

2024-04-09T10:57:58+01:00

By Marie

Joel Kurz, who serves as pastor of The Garden Church and moderator of Baltimore Baptist Association, said probably greater than any tangible need is the fact that the tragedy was “just emotional and traumatic for a lot of people.”Pastor Kurz said he spoke with a first responder and listened to her recount everything she experienced in the early morning hours of March 26 after the cargo ship Dali hit the bridge and caused the collapse, leaving six people presumed dead.Ellen Udovich — director of BCM/D Ready, the disaster relief arm of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware — said area Baptists are doing their best to meet any physical needs that are there too.She said Baltimore “has a robust coalition of voluntary organizations active in disasters,” including Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, plus private sector partners.“We’ve collectively had ongoing coordination calls with the state department of emergency management and local emergency management,” Udovich said, noting that currently all of the known needs of crews in port, port workers, public safety, recovery and debris teams and small businesses in the area are being met.BCM/D Ready also trained several local pastors in basic spiritual and emotional care skills after the collapse, and those pastors are now equipping their congregations to care for friends, neighbors and coworkers who have been impacted by the tragedy.“We are also encouraging churches to support the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, which is ministering to crews in port and the Dali crew,” Udovich said.The center is run by the Episcopal Church, but multiple denominations are involved in ministry there, she noted. Churches are providing homemade cookies and treats for center volunteers to take to ships.Udovich said they’re looking for other ways to reach out and have encouraged churches to pray for survivors and the people close to those who are presumed dead.Also Read: Michael W. Smith Releases “Worthy Is The Lamb”