New Yorkers join Hoosiers in rebuilding church
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A UMNS photo by Dan GanglerIndiana Gov. Mitch Daniels speaks at the welcome breakfast. |
Indiana
Gov. Mitch Daniels speaks at the welcome breakfast that kicked off the
weekend rebuilding project for Baker Chapel United Methodist Church in
DeGonia Springs, Ind. The church was destroyed in the Nov. 6 tornado
that claimed the lives of 25 area residents. Working through the New
York Says Thank You Foundation, 20 New York City firefighters joined by
30 Amish and Mennonite volunteers, local residents, rescue personnel,
and 20 disaster survivors from San Diego, Utica, Ill., and Slidell, La.,
in building and raising the framing for the new Baker Chapel building. A
UMNS photo by Dan Gangler. Photo #-06-1044. Accompanies UMNS story
#536. 9/11/06 |
Sept. 11, 2006
By Daniel R. Gangler*
DEGONIA SPRINGS, Ind. (UMNS) — Remembering their fallen comrades who died Sept.
11 five years ago, 20 New York City firefighters joined a group of other
volunteers and residents in framing the new building of Baker Chapel United
Methodist Church.
The firefighters worked side by side with 30 Amish and Mennonite volunteers,
local residents, rescue personnel, and 20 disaster survivors from San Diego,
Utica, Ill., and Slidell, La. The former century-old Baker Chapel building in
this rural area was destroyed by a Nov. 6 tornado that claimed the lives of 25
area residents.
The Sept. 8-10 effort was part of an annual campaign by the New York Says Thank
You Foundation, which organized in 2003 as a way to repay the kindness shown to
New York in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center. Foundation Director Jeff Parness accompanied the firefighters, who came
from Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn.
The weekend event kicked off with a Sept. 8 welcome breakfast at Main Street
United Methodist Church in nearby Boonville, where Parness spoke to more than
400 area residents and guests.
“On Sept. 12, 2001, people from all over the country poured into New York City
to show their support and help where they could,” he said. “No words can
adequately describe how we felt (about their response). New Yorkers will never
forget their generosity. This is just a small way we can say ?thank you.’”
The church is people
At the breakfast, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels shared his experience of landing
near the devastated Baker Chapel building and comforting members and neighbors
near the church Nov. 6. He reflected on the courage and determination of DeGonia
Springs and the members of Baker Chapel.
Daniels said he will always remember the moment when he was expressing sorrow
for the loss of the church and an elder of the church said to him with a smile:
“That was a building. You are talking to the church.”
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A UMNS photo by Dan GanglerNew York City firefighters talk with Indiana Amish volunteers during the Baker Chapel United Methodist Church rebuild project. |
New
York City firefighters talk with Indiana Amish volunteers during the
Baker Chapel United Methodist Church rebuild project in DeGonia Springs,
Ind. The church was destroyed in the Nov. 6 tornado that claimed the
lives of 25 area residents. Working through the New York Says Thank You
Foundation, 20 New York City firefighters joined with 30 Amish and
Mennonite volunteers, local residents, rescue personnel, and 20 disaster
survivors from San Diego, Utica, Ill., and Slidell, La., in building
and raising the framing for the new Baker Chapel building. A UMNS photo
by Dan Gangler. Photo #-06-1045. Accompanies UMNS story #536. 9/11/06 |
“What a great expression of the faith that unites us,” Daniels said. “It’s the
people that constitute great churches, great communities, great cities and great
states.”
He also reflected on his deep sense of loss viewing Ground Zero shortly after
the 9/11 tragedy in New York City as part of President Bush’s administration.
While at the breakfast, Daniels talked with families of the Nov. 6 tornado
victims. Each victim was remembered with the dedication and planting of a tree
in his or her name. Trees also were dedicated to each of the New York City
firefighters remembered.
?Not victims’
Steve Holden, head of the U.S. Emergency Chaplains Corps based in Decatur, Ill.,
led the dedication. It’s never easy to deal with disaster, he said, but we need
to realize that “God’s people are everywhere in the midst of the tragedy or
disaster.” After quoting from Psalm 1 — “They are like trees planted by streams
of water?” — he declared, “we need planting.”
Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner also greeted the crowd. “Today we are going to
make something good out of the bad of life?,” he said. “We are not victims but
survivors.”
Evansville United Methodist District Superintendent Glenn Howell called the
weekend gathering the “intersection of human hurt and human hope.”
Following the breakfast, volunteers drove 10 miles east to the Baker Chapel
building site in DeGonia Springs.
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A UMNS photo by Dan GanglerTrees are dedicated to the victims of the tornado and Sept. 11 fallen firefighters. |
Trees
are dedicated to the victims of a Nov. 6 tornado in DeGonia Springs,
Ind., and the fallen firefighters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks. The dedication occurred at a welcoming breakfast for the New
York Says Thank You Foundation project to help rebuild Baker Chapel
United Methodist Church in DeGonia Springs. The church was destroyed in
the tornado, which claimed the lives of 25 area residents. Twenty New
York City firefighters joined with 30 Amish and Mennonite volunteers,
local residents, rescue personnel, and 20 disaster survivors from San
Diego, Utica, Ill., and Slidell, La., to build and raise the framing for
the new Baker Chapel building. A UMNS photo by Dan Gangler. Photo
#-06-1046. Accompanies UMNS story #536. 9/11/06 |
By day’s end on Friday, the Rev. Randy Anderson, with the Long-Term Recovery
Committee of Southwest Indiana and senior pastor of Centenary United Methodist
Church in Evansville, said he was amazed that the building’s outer walls were
completely framed and sided.
“We are already more than a week ahead of schedule,” he said.
On Saturday, volunteers framed inside walls. The building is scheduled to be
completed next spring.
Baker Chapel building committee member Keith Shelton led 20 local volunteers in
efforts to coordinate activities with the New York foundation.
Other weekend activities included a community barbecue and softball game at
Boonville High School between local and New York first responders. The weekend
culminated on Sunday morning with a 9/11 memorial parade from Boonville to a
closing worship service and ceremonies at the Baker Chapel site attended by more
than a thousand volunteers, church members and guests.
Volunteers from Saint Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis prepared
meals for the more than 1,500 guests and volunteers during the weekend build.
For more information about Baker Chapel, log on to
www.inareaumc.org or
www.bakerchapel.org.
*Gangler is director of communication for the Indiana Area of the United
Methodist Church.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.
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