Emergency Response

A recent Facebook post with a meme criticizing the "thoughts and prayers" response to disasters got under the skin of Scott Rosekrans, pastor of Port Hadlock Community UMC. He spent some time reflecting on what prayer should mean to Christians and how a sincere faith is inevitably coupled with action.

"Unless you have a real reason to go into the area, please stay away. The air quality is unhealthy and there are an unusually...

Creation Care Connector, Cindy Haverkamp, reflects on ways for United Methodists to respond to last Friday's National Climate Assessment.

The Carlton Complex wildfire burning in north-central Washington state, USA. Photo courtesy of Jason Kriess, SFC, Washington National Guard and Wikimedia Commons. Looking For a Few...

Jim Truitt, UMVIM Disaster Response Coordinator for the PNW Conference, is on the ground in Texas assisting FEMA in the formation of a Long Term Recovery Taskforce for Hurricane Harvey. Working 12 hour days among thousands of people has given him an appreciation for the immensity of the response and the importance of attending to the work in front of him in a focused way.

Participants in this year's Disaster Response Training event are engaged in a team-building activity.  This event was held September 23-24, 2016 at Richland: Central...

When disaster strikes, often we see heart-wrenching images on television. Here are the top four most common pitfalls into which helpers fall after a disaster – and what they should do instead.

UMCOR Philippines Director Ciony Ayo-Eduarte with children in eastern Mindanao, Philippines, soon after Typhoon Bopha. UMCOR is a member of the ACT Alliance. Paul Jeffrey/ACT...

By Marilyn Church | Images courtesy of Jesse N. Love, Wikipedia* "In 2015, Conconully was evacuated for a week; the fires never came into the town...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, flood water from the Tar River is well overflowing its southern bank. The river is cresting at about...