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Church becomes emergency shelter after Harvey

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, Houston native and pastor of the city's 17,000-member Windsor Village United Methodist Church, reflects on Hurricane Harvey, where he sees God in times of disaster, and how his church transformed into an emergency shelter.

Find more stories about churches' responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma below.

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Mission and Ministry
John Kodjo (standing), a member of Mapamboli United Methodist Church in Kinshasa, Congo, tries to salvage things from his flooded home. Torrential rains and flooding on April 5 damaged over 1,000 homes in the area and killed at least 33 people. Kodjo’s family fled on the roof of their home. Photo by the Rev. Fiston Okito, UM News.

Floods devastate United Methodists in Congo
Thousands have been displaced and two United Methodist churches have been damaged by flooding in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
Disaster Relief
Leaders with the Association of the Korean United Methodist Church of the California-Pacific Conference visit and pray at Altadena United Methodist Church on Feb. 24. The historic African American church in Altadena, California, was destroyed by wildfire in January. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Korean-led campaign raises funds for wildfire relief
A campaign that transcended ethnic and regional boundaries raised more than $27,000 for recovery efforts and aid in California.
Disaster Relief
Emile Odimba, coordinator of the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s disaster management office in central Congo, helps distribute supplies to flood survivors in Kinshasa, Congo. More than 3,500 people lost their homes in massive flooding last year. Photo by the Rev. Fiston Okito, UM News.

Church provides aid for Congo flood survivors
With financial support from UMCOR and Global Ministries, the church distributed food, medicine and other supplies to thousands of people in central Congo.

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