Offering fuels disaster response BY LARRY HYGH JR.
UMCONNECTION STAFF On March 10 United Methodists have an opportunity to assist victims of earthquakes in Nicaragua, hurricanes in Haiti, famines in Africa and floods in West Virginia with a contribution to One Great Hour of Sharing. Offerings to One Great Hour of Sharing, which is one of the United Methodist Churchs six special Sundays, benefit the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the General Board of Global Ministries. This is the most important special offering we can give to, said the Rev. Bill Herche, Baltimore-Washington Conference disaster response coordinator. UMCORs hands would be tied without this special offering. They couldnt have first-response money ready. UMCOR, which receives a significant portion of its funding from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, was started as a temporary relief effort in response to the human suffering created as a result of World War II. In 1972, it became a committee of the General Board of Global Ministries. UMCOR provides training for conference leaders on how to deal with disasters, said Herche, who attended training at UMCORs Sager-Brown facility and relief warehouse in Louisiana. He received a week of basic training in disaster response and additional training in case management and assessment. The UMCOR training includes topics like defining disasters and how to most effectively respond when disaster strikes. The role of the conference disaster response coordinator was also explored. Herche said he learned a great deal. For instance, he said, UMCOR will never come into a disaster situation without a specific invitation from that areas bishop. Baltimore-Washington Conference district disaster response coordinators have also received UMCOR training in early response, Herche said. The cabinet will receive training within the next few weeks. According to the Discipline, One Great Hour of Sharing began as an ecumenical effort of the church to share the goodness of life with those who hurt. Last year, Baltimore-Washington Conference churches gave $106,698 to this Special Sunday, said the Rev. James Knowles-Tuell, conference treasurer. According to Herche, were doing better than most conferences. However, he added, many local churches have the capability to give much more to this special offering. The Baltimore-Washington Conferences A Time to Heal, a weekend away for renewal following the events of Sept. 11, was sponsored in part by UMCOR. | 
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