Dear siblings in Christ,  
 
While the national news may have moved on from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Southeast United States is still bearing the weight of their aftermath. For those affected, each day is a reminder of all that has been lost and all that must still be rebuilt. 

A view of Valle Crucis United Methodist Church in Valle Crucis, N.C., shows water over the stairs of the entryway after flooding caused by Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and other parts of the southeastern United States last week. Bishop Ken Carter, who leads the Western North Carolina Conference, said it's estimated that more than half of the 44 counties in the annual conference have been affected. Photo courtesy of the Western North Carolina Conference.

Helene has tragically taken the lives of at least 231 people across six states, making it one of the deadliest storms to strike the U.S. mainland in half a century. Data from the National Hurricane Center and analysis from USA Today says that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30, has already directly claimed 326 lives. Thousands of homes are gone, tens of thousands more are damaged, and vital infrastructure is broken. Many communities are struggling to access basic needs—clean water, power, and safe transportation—leaving so many without what is necessary to begin the process of healing. 

In this time of staggering loss and grief, we are reminded that our United Methodist connection is a sacred thread that binds us across miles and circumstances. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is one connectional body through which we can extend care and resources.

Two members of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, Revs. Brian and Katherine Cornell, have been serving in the Minnesota Conferencesince 2019. They have seen the suffering of their loved ones and former communities. Below is an exerpt of a letter Pastor Brian recently shared with the Minnesota Confernce as they seek to respond to the needs of our siblings in Christ in the Southeast.

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I watched the news in late September with my heart in my throat. Hurricane Helene was moving toward my beloved Appalachian mountains. As the world heard about the storm touching down and moving inland, my social media feed was filled with updates from people I love, sharing their effort to survive and their work to rescue what they could from the wreckage surrounding them.  

One friend had been swept into a culvert while trying to clear it in the storm. His hand was damaged, but he felt God’s hand saved his life. His congregation is currently rebuilding its community food program and offices, and he feels blessed to be alive to help with the restoration efforts. His is one story. There are many, many others. 

Hurricane Helene’s damage was thorough and personal. Only two of the four congregations I served near Boone, North Carolina, were spared damage from the flooding. Both of Katherine’s former congregations had flood damage—one to its outside buildings, food storage areas for community feeding programs, and the adjacent kitchen. Even the parsonage we called home for seven years was flooded. 

These congregations aren’t alone. Within one district, 14 United Methodist congregations sustained total or significant damage from the hurricane...

We all know helping after natural disasters is a long road—a marathon, not a sprint—so we appreciate any support you might give now or in the future to help this area of our connectional ministry recover.  

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Elias Torres (left) and Vinicius Maciel clean up flood damage from Hurricane Helene at Cedar Key (Fla.) United Methodist Church. Church members are beginning the long, slow recovery following Helene's devastating storm surge and flooding in the southeastern U.S. Conferences are busy supporting survivors. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

We are so grateful to the individuals and congregations who have given to the 2024 Thanksgiving Offering: United States Hurricane Response. There is still time to contribute to this important mission. Gifts can be given online directly with UMCOR or through the Dakotas Conference or by mail (1331 W. University Ave., P.O. Box 460, Mitchell, SD 57301.)

Your Thanksgiving offering is a gift that will bring hope. Your Thanksgiving offering is a gift that will bring honor to God. Your gift will calm the storms and restore life. 

Alongside you on the journey,  

Bishop Lanette Plambeck  
Resident Bishop
Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church