Disaster Ministries team gears up for hurricane season — and beyond

Get ready to batten down the hatches.

Research indicates that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, could be a doozy thanks to La Niña and increasingly warmer ocean temperatures.

With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting an 85% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, which runs to Nov. 30, the United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries encourages congregations to have in place disaster preparedness policies, which include knowing who their Conference Disaster Response Coordinators are. (You can view the CDRC directory here.)

Formerly known as Conference Disaster Coordinators (CDCs), the recent addition of “response” to the name illustrates a renewed focus on better equipping, educating and connecting emergency volunteers and congregations to the resources available in a time of crisis.

“We don’t coordinate disasters. We coordinate the conference’s disaster response,” said Kevin Gehres, CDRC for the Columbus, Ohio-based Heartland Conference.

The name change from CDC to CDRC also avoids any brand-identity confusion with the more familiar CDC in Atlanta.

“You may have heard of the term CDCs talked about in the UCC — no, this doesn’t refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said Katie Howe, minister for disaster response and recovery for the Global H.O.P.E. team.

“The name change is significant as it helps congregations recognize the work that these individuals are doing in their conferences,” she added.

Each conference has a CDRC that works directly with the conference minister to help the conference, associations and local churches prepare for and respond to disasters. These disasters not only include hurricanes, but wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, and more recently, gun violence, as well.

In addition to CDRCs, UCC Disaster Ministry also offers an Emotional and Spiritual Care Team (ESCT), a network of individuals trained to provide support to pastors and congregations in the aftermath of a disaster.

Cultural humility discussed at in-person gathering

Planning for disasters during “blue sky days” is a phrase commonly heard within responder circles, underscoring the importance of having a plan in place before a disaster happens.

Howe, who joined the UCC in late 2023, knows all too well how critical the blue sky phase is, having previously worked at the Rhode Island Department of Health during the state’s response to the Covid and Mpox outbreaks.

 She also values collaborative work among colleagues, especially among the CDRCs and ESCT members.

In mid-April, 14 CDRCs and 6 ESCT members gathered outside of Chicago at Trinity United Church of Christ in Deerfield, Ill. for a retreat focused on recommitting to one another and reimagining their work. This was the first in-person gathering of responders since Covid. It was a time, Howe said, of “building relationships and learning from one another.”

“We also discussed the importance of disaster ministries as natural disasters as well as environmental, technological and human-caused disasters are becoming more common across the country,” she said.

Another emerging topic of importance in disaster response work that was discussed was that of cultural humility, where volunteers recognize the importance of working side-by-side with residents, listening and learning the local vernacular and respecting cultural traditions.

“It’s not that we may encounter those who are different, we will encounter those who are different,” said Howe, adding that the conversation also led to “disability culture” and how to be mindful of those with special needs in times of disasters.

Those attending the in-person gathering found the time together to be valuable.

Rev. Dr. Eddie Weathers representing the Southern Conference of the UCC “gained a lot” learning more about the UCC Disaster Ministries and hearing from his disaster response colleagues.

As a new CDRC, the Rev. Michael Dack from the Northern California and Nevada Conference said it was good to hear from seasoned disaster responders, while the Rev. Kelly Hansen, co-CDRC from the Kansas Oklahoma Conference said the chance to meet in person and talk about the challenges — and opportunities — made the sometimes daunting task of serving as a CDRC seem “perhaps not so overwhelming.”

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