Thanks for generously giving to relief work

Martinez

To Churches, Lay Members and Clergy Members in the Southwest Texas Conference:
Greetings in the name and spirit of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Over the last several weeks, I have continued to receive reports of the amazingly generous response of the annual conference to the human tragedy occasioned by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I have personally visited several of our churches that have been sheltering evacuees. On Monday, Oct. 3, I was in Baton Rouge, La., with a delegation from the General Board of Global Ministries and other agencies to meet with Bishop William Hutchinson and leaders of the Louisiana Annual Conference. I was proud to share about the generous response of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference.
As of Sept. 30, $799,863.33 had been given to the United Methodist Committee on Relief as well as to the Conference Disaster Response Fund. What an outpouring of generosity in less than 30 days!
In addition, dozens of our congregations and scores of our pastors and annual conference staff members have been involved in providing shelter, counseling and emergency assistance in ways too numerous to mention.
In addition, I know that many of our laypeople and pastors have been active with the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and ecumenical church groups in the response. Please know how grateful and appreciative I am for all that has been done in these 30 days.
The journey for the survivors of the hurricanes will be a long one. Our prayers, support and gifts will be counted on throughout the Gulf Coast.
Finally, we began 2005 with the tsunami relief effort in Indonesia. I was privileged to travel there and shared greetings from the Southwest Texas and Rio Grande Conferences with all of our colleagues in the Methodist Church of Indonesia.
I have done the same with our colleague bishops and friends in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.
You have been present through your prayers and your gifts, and the power of Christ’s love has been made manifest in the midst of unspeakable human tragedy.
God bless you in your continuing service to Christ and all his children.
Gracia y Paz,
Joel N. Martínez, Bishop