Florida Conference News

It doesn’t seem possible that we are yet again experiencing another hurricane. With very little break in between, it has been a very difficult time for many in Florida. Florida Conference has responded to as many of the affected areas as possible. The following is just a summary of what the Conference has been doing in response to the hurricanes:

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David Canther, Florida Conference disaster response director and senior pastor of the Mount Dora Church, has shared photos from the relief center set up in the panhandle town of Century.

Phil Younts, administrative director of Florida Conference camp ministries, has announced that Camp Kulaqua in High Springs offers its housing facilities as a secondary shelter for people in high-risk areas—especially coastal regions—trying to escape the path of an approaching hurricane. Evacuees must provide their own food and linens. There would not be any charge for the duration of the evacuation, though contributions are encouraged.

While not a certified shelter, evacuees would be assigned housing while the storm passes. If conditions deteriorate at the camp, evacuees would move to the gymnasium. All pets would be welcome during this time, provided they were properly leashed and caged. Horses would be housed in the camp’s pasture.

The Living Water Conference and Retreat Center would also be opened for use by evacuees with special medical needs, as this facility has a generator for backup power.

During Hurricane Frances, 60 church members took advantage of this secondary housing offer. Many came with their horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and even a monkey. A Daytona Beach evacuee later wrote to the camp, “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the hospitality enjoyed while weathering Hurricane Frances. Having a place of shelter where we could bring our dogs during the storm was a blessing. As a thank offering to God and to Camp Kulaqua, we are enclosing a donation to help cover costs of sheltering us and others during the storm.”

Younts says, “We want to let our church members know we’re here as a shelter during severe storms and glad to help out any way we can.”

Reservations would be necessary, so call the camp in advance to confirm the times evacuation facilities become available: (386) 454-1351.

The Florida Conference Disaster Response Team is closely watching the development of Hurricane Jeanne. Reports and news will be posted here as information becomes available.

If you wish to assist with relief efforts, please sign up using the Youth In Action web site’s “We Want to Volunteer” form or call (407) 886-8153 or (727) 866-6044. Please note that volunteers of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to sign up on the web site—not just youth/young adults.

Relief effort responsibilities:

• Rich Bradley, resource coordinator in conjunction with officials in Tallahassee.
• David Canther, on-site relief effort coordinator.
• Evan Valencia, administrative coordinator.

The following release was sent by the North American Division Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) office:

ACS DR volunteers continually work to supply needed items and renew hope for those who suffered damage wrought by successive Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan.

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David Canther, Florida Conference disaster response director and senior pastor of the Mount Dora Church, shared the following report:

Teams were originally deployed to Crestview, just east of Pensacola, by request of the Gulf States Conference disaster relief coordinator. The pastor of the church there is very involved in working with the State of Florida’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and his church is very active and involved in the community. Saturday morning, base camp was set up at a large park—the Old Spanish Trail Festival where there’s a large pavilion with a cement floor and big metal roof. The Crestview pastor contacted his members to assist. Soon, there was about 2.5 miles of traffic lined up for ice, water, and meals.

Later, the EOC contacted Canther to see if there was any possibility of going to Century, a community about 40 miles west of Crestview and just north of Pensacola. The mayor of this town was desperate for help. Century currently has absolutely no power and trees are down all over the power lines. Power restoration is not expected for a minimum of three weeks and it will likely be three months before the majority of towns have their power restored.

Florida Conference’s convoy of 13 vehicles then relocated to Century on Sunday morning with everything that was needed to be a self-contained relief center. There was a semi-truck loaded with tarps, another with ice, and trucks with food and water. Mount Dora Church member Russ Durham, a professional mover, donated his time and his semi-truck. Meals were served from the disaster response trailer’s new cooking kitchen.

When the team arrived, the mayor hugged Canther and said that her prayers that a team would come to help were answered. She invited the crew to set up base camp at City Hall and said they were in charge of anything they needed. About five or more sheriff cars are guiding traffic into the facility which has become a one-stop-shop for everything storm victims need—a tarp, ice, water, food, etc. Most supplies were sent from the Tampa distribution warehouse and are being distributed at the rate of four semi-truck loads per day. The navy and army are also assisting as the traffic moves through nonstop.

Canther is planning to work with the local pastor to move forward with friendship evangelism and with the mayor to hold a seminar at the City Hall titled “Who Are Your Friends, the Adventists?” Current plans will have response teams in this community for two weeks and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be providing food for the duration. Canther wishes to thank Camp Kulaqua for the use of a large tent and Forest Lake Academy which rallied to purchase $1,000 in fresh food, as well as members of the Avon Park and Fort Pierce Churches who have come to the Florida panhandle to volunteer. A lot of the team that was hit hardest by Hurricane Frances at Fort Pierce rose up and said, “we were blessed, now we want to be a blessing to others.” Canther says those who are hurting the most want to help the most, so they are receiving their healing through volunteering and God is really blessing.

The Adventist Review Online Edition published this article last week prior to Hurricane Ivan’s landfall. A new article covering the aftermath of Ivan is expected later.

David Canther, Florida Conference disaster response director and senior pastor of the Mount Dora Church, shared the following report:

Florida Conference has just completed its second disaster response on the Atlantic side of the state with Hurricane Frances. After sending out our assessment teams once again, Ft. Pierce was selected as the distribution location because it was located in one of the hardest-hit areas, it was in miraculous condition, and it has great visibility to building relationships in the community. We served 10,000 meals out of the church’s kitchen, put tarps on 170 roofs, distributed three semi-truck loads of water, two semi-truck loads of ice, and two semi-truck loads of food and paper goods.

The greatest miracle was once again watching a multi-cultural church unite to experience a great revival, becoming the hands and feet of Jesus as the local youth group combined with the Clermont youth group and approximately 400 others workers. After observing his church being blessed and allowing them to be a blessing in their community, the head elder in Fort Pierce, Edgar Morales, told me, “Truly you are my brother in Christ.”

Our new motto, based on the Adventist Community Services acronym, ACS, is “Acts of Caring Service!” On Monday, I conducted a leadership training meeting at the Conference office with approximately 30 business owners and individuals who were a vital part of the relief effort after the last two hurricanes. Because of a spiritual revival, which the storms have created, they have a desire of continuing “Acts of Caring Service” on a monthly basis throughout Florida where churches and individuals in special need can be blessed by caring individuals. 

As of today, we have two teams ready to respond with our new fifth-wheel Conference feeding kitchen, tarps, water, and ice to help our brothers and sisters in the Gulf States Conference. Based on initial assessment, our crews will be deployed to the Pensacola church which appears to be the area hit hardest by Hurricane Ivan.

Rich Bradley, left, Florida’s disaster response resource coordinator, is pictured with Florida Governor Jeb Bush, third from left, along with Kevin Kuretich, second from left, of the Colorado Division of Emergency Management and Mike Reddy, right, of the Westminster, Colorado, Office of Emergency Management. Bradley travels to and works at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee as the liason for Adventist Community Services—one of several Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (FLVOAD) agencies.

Three new sets of photos have been added to the relief effort galleries. Photos from many different photographers are available. Recent additions include:

Florida Conference Ministerial Director Tim Nichols visited the southwest Florida region the Monday following Hurricane Charley’s strike and brought back photos of the Port Charlotte Church and school, the Punta Gorda Church and community services building, Arcadia Church, Wauchula English and Spanish Churches, and Fort Meade Church.

Relief effort in-field Director David Canther shared photos of the distribution center at the Fort Pierce Church after Hurricane Frances.

Lakeland member Robin Retzloff and Travis, his son, also share photos of Fort Pierce as well as the Melbourne Church and Southeastern Conference’s Macedonia Church.

Rich Bradley, disaster response resource coordinator, reported the following statistics from staff based at the Ft. Pierce Church:

• 10,000 meals served
• 170 roofs tarped
• 3 semi-truck loads of water distributed
• 2 semi-truck loads of ice distributed
• 2 semi-truck loads of food and paper goods distributed

“Whenever there’s a disaster like this, the call goes out to all the pastors. And our congregations help wherever they can.”

Read the full TCPalm.com article by Tyler Treadway, staff writer
September 13, 2004

The Adventist Review has two articles available, reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Frances.

The Florida Conference Disaster Response Team is closely watching the development of Hurricane Ivan. Reports and news will be posted here as information becomes available.

If you wish to assist with the relief effort, please sign up using the Youth In Action web site’s “We Want to Volunteer” form or call (407) 886-8153 or (727) 866-6044. Please note that volunteers of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to sign up on the web site—not just youth/young adults.

Relief effort responsibilities:

• Rich Bradley, resource coordinator in conjunction with officials in Tallahassee.
• David Canther, on-site relief effort coordinator.
• Evan Valencia, administrative coordinator.

Disaster Response Coordinator David Canther reported today that the day after Hurricane Frances passed over the east coast, assessment teams scouted from Daytona Beach to Miami and chose the Fort Pierce Church as the location to set up a relief and distribution center. The Fort Pierce Church is already known for its community service and one of the hardest hit areas, Port St. Lucie, Is only a few miles south of Fort Pierce.

An average of 1,100 meals—lunches and suppers—were served per day and two semi-truck loads of supplies were brought in and distributed. Residents waited up to two hours in line for supplies, yet everyone who waited received assistance. Approximately 70% of residents the the area are still without power.

The free meals were advertised on local radio stations. The National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate station said that the Adventists, once again, had one of the strongest presences of relief effort as well as the strongest representation in Charlotte County after Hurricane Charley.

Canther mentioned the following two texts from Galatians that were shared during worship services at the relief center:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” —Galatians 5:6

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” —Galatians 6:3

More-detailed information and reports should become available when the Conference office re-opens on Wednesday. At this time, we can report that both the English and Spanish churches in Melbourne have sustained significant damage. Other churches only sustained superficial damage or were only without power.

Disaster response crews have already been activated and additional information will be provided here when it is available.

Please note that the Florida Conference office will be closed one additional day—Tuesday, September 7—to allow some employees time for their own relief needs.

Relief effort responsibilities:

• Julie Bacon, volunteer coordinator. If you wish to assist with the relief effort, please sign up on the Youth In Action web site or call (407) 886-8153 or (727) 866-6044. Please note that volunteers of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to sign up on the web site—not just youth/young adults.
• Rich Bradley, resource coordinator in conjunction with officials in Tallahassee.
• David Canther, on-site relief effort coordinator.
• Evan Valencia, administrative coordinator.