Each Wednesday, our ministers/pastors meet at First Baptist Church of LaPlace for fellowship and information. Around 50 of us gather there each time, but it’s never the same group.

Today, November 2, a young pastor who serves a non-Southern Baptist church in Kenner addressed the group. “I’ve been in this area for nine years, and I’ve been impressed with the work of Southern Baptists. I know what you believe and it’s the same thing my church stands for. After Katrina hit, I did not see any of my denomination’s people down here at all. The first people on the ground were Southern Baptists, and they’re everywhere, ministering in Jesus’ name. It’s outstanding. And I want my church to be a part of that. So I am here, officially requesting to join the Southern Baptist Convention.” Everyone applauded. We may have lost 30 or more churches from the hurricane, but we just gained one! (We’ll deal with the details at another time, and explain how one goes about becoming a member church in the SBC.) He brought a laugh of understanding when he added, “I would have been here a couple of years earlier, except I was waiting for one key deacon to go to Heaven.”

After prayer time, our two-hour-and-a-half meeting was jam-packed with one person after another rising to address the group. Disaster relief workers talked about cleanup, building people about permits, and financial people about insurance and loans. One pastor gave a report that Franklin Graham will be leading a two-day festival at the New Orleans Arena, next to the Superdome, on Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29. Another spoke of plans to invite all the “first-responders” to a banquet or barbecue to show them proper appreciation for all they did to secure the city. Others told of the counseling available for those having trouble dealing with this crisis. On and on it went. I felt sorry for Lynn Gehrman, trying to get it all down in the minutes.

The First Baptist Church of Covington, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, has invited our ministers and spouses to have our Christmas banquet in their facilities, as their guests, no charge. We gladly accept and agreed on Monday night, December 5.

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Tuesday morning, some folks at Edgewater and Lakeview churches were masked up and tearing out sheetrock, pews, and other church innards. It remains to be seen whether the buildings will be salvageable, but give the folks credit–they’re trying.

“The only word to describe this area is ‘dead zone,'” said Tom Billings. The Director of Missions for Houston, Texas, flew in Tuesday morning and spent the day with Freddie Arnold and me before departing that evening. I’m afraid we showed him more of the devastation than he wanted to see. I took him up Canal Street and across Paris Avenue and Elysian Fields, then over to Algiers and back across the Huey P. Long into Kenner. Freddie took him to lunch while I did a funeral, and then showed him the greater devastation in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th ward. I expect Tom was happy to get back on the plane that evening.

“This is not going to be a quick fix,” he said. “We’re talking about years.” Indeed. In fact, Tuesday, the folks at Lifeway who were going to provide architectural workshops for our pastors notified me that they think it’s premature, that this needs to be scheduled sometime after the first of the year, that the pastors aren’t at the point of thinking of rebuilding yet. I believe they’re right.

Freddie told Tom Billings the best thing Houstonians can do for us is pray. While this is on target, it’s hard for people to voice the same prayers over and over for years when you are not present to see how the prayers are being answered, and whether they are. That’s our challenge–to keep them praying. New Orleans may be the biggest prayer challenge our people have ever faced.

Wayne Jenkins has a plan.

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November arrived pleasantly Tuesday morning. It brought rain. Not a lot, not enough to mess up unrepaired homes, not enough to shut down construction and cleanup work all over the city, but enough to settle the dust. We’ve had almost no rain since Katrina hit, over 2 months ago. October had 0.04 inches of rain, which is about as near to none as you can get.

The New York Times reported that the Bring Back New Orleans Commission which our mayor appointed, of which Pastor Fred Luter is a member, has been experiencing in-fighting. Horrors. Do you mean to say that this group of strong leaders, each with definite convictions on what should be done, actually disagreed? All I can say is, Lord, I hope so. I’d hate to think we had one or two strong leaders and a bunch of “yes-men” on that board. They say the most efficient form of government is a dictatorship. Under Saddam, Iraq had almost no dissension, certainly none that lived to tell it. And these days, over 225 separate political parties have registered to represent Iraqi voters. Sounds a little strange to us, but it sure looks like democracy. Eventually, those folks will find commonality with each other and form fewer, larger parties. But the road from here to there is plenty of discussion, some arguments, debates, and attempts to get together. That is what is happening in New Orleans on a quieter level.

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