 Holly
Devastated by Tornado
Holly Hit By Tornado; Parsonage Damaged,
Parsonage Family OK
Bishop Brown asks your prayers for the people in Holly,
CO, which was hit by a large tornado last night. He wants you to know also
that pastor Dave Moorman and his spouse Sheri are fine, but that the parsonage
is severely damaged. There is some damage to the church roof. One churchmember
was injured, so far as they know.
Jack Ford, Conference Treasurer also asks for prayers, and says that if
churches want to donate to the family and/or parsonage he will accept donations
through the office here to be forwarded there.
Further information on the tornado may be found here:
Denver Post
Rocky Mountain News
9News
(Denver)
KCNC4
(Denver)
Holly United Methodist Church (Colorado) Celebrates
Palm Sunday
Rev. Warner H. Brown, Jr., Bishop of the Rocky Mountain Conference; Rev.
Brenda Lear, Superintendent of the Sunshine District of the RMC, and Doug
Bulen (Brenda's husband) were all present at the Holly United Methodist
Church worship service on Palm Sunday. It was a full house (including film
crews from three of the Denver TV stations). Rev. Dave Moorman, pastor
at the Holly UMC, preached and acknowledged the grief, loss and devastation,
but also offered hope. One of the more interesting things he said was to
make an analogy at the beginning of Holy Week. He said:
"Jesus died - not like an actor who stepped off the stage for three
days then stepped back on - but died. Dead. Fade to black. Just like Holly
of March 27, 2007 died. Dead. Never ever ever to return as it was. But
- and here is the good news - on the third day, Jesus, who was dead, arose
from the grave. Just like on the third day after the tornado the groundwork
for a new Holly, a new life, a new world, was laid. Not a world of victims
and devastation - but a world of community and hope and love."
It was an amazing morning. The bishop and district superintendent then
toured the damaged neighborhoods and Rev. Lear remarked on the amount of
clean up that had taken place since she and her husband were there just
a day and a half before. The parsonage was severely damaged and is now
the only house left standing on that side of the block. The others have
been scraped and hauled away. The community and the first responders have
done a great job.
Sheri Moorman, wife of Rev. Dave Moorman, was in the parsonage when the
tornado hit. She escaped injury as she was sitting next to the only window
in the house that wasn't blown out. There are many miracle stories such
as this one. The community is also grieving the death of one of its members
as they are supporting all those who have suffered loss. -- Brenda Lear
Photo Album - photos by Doug Bulen,
spouse of Brenda Lear, Superintendent of Sunshine District; and Terilynn
Russ, pastor of La Junta UMC. (New photos added 4/13/07)
Holly Celebrates Easter after Tornado
by Terilynn Russ, RMC clergy serving LaJunta
Amid contradictions of remarkable assistance and continued hardship, Holly,
Colorado residents celebrate the Easter season in the aftermath of a killer
tornado.
At 8 p.m. on March 28, a tornado passed through without warning the center
of Holly, a town of 1000. The National Weather Service determined the twister
was an EF-3 (Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado damage) with winds up to
150 mph. Rosemary Rosales, a 28-year old mother of two children, was killed.
The storm left a path of destruction 600 feet wide and a mile long. Approximately
160 homes suffered at least some damage with 50 homes ruled unfit to live
in. The United Methodist parsonage and the church were among them.
The winds exploded every window in the parsonage with one exception. The
window next to Sheri Moorman’s head remained intact, possibly saving
her life. The Rev. Dave Moorman, pastor of Holly UMC, calls his wife’s
experience “just one of a thousand miracle stories” shared
by survivors of the deadly tornado. Over 500 people found comfort in sharing
their personal resurrection stories on Easter Sunday when the community
gathered for worship in the Holly High School gymnasium.
Life hasn’t been easy for folks living in Southeast Colorado’s
high desert. After almost a decade of drought conditions, a January blizzard
dumped 3 to 4 feet of snow, paralyzing the area and killing more than 10,000
cattle. Rev. Moorman remembers “Holly was like a mountain town. The
snow kept coming and never melted.” Less than three weeks after the
snow had completely melted, the tornado hit Holly. “Adding to the
hardship,” Rev. Moorman says, “some people had not received
insurance checks from the blizzard, when the tornado hit.”
By Easter Monday, Holly residents were contending with another foot of
snow. Water from the melting snow caused even more damage to many buildings
because roofs were temporarily patched or non-existent after the tornado.
Despite the adversities, the outpouring of assistance from United Methodists
across the West has been “remarkable” according the Rev. Moorman.
Work teams have turned up from churches in Walsh, Springfield, Lamar, Castle
Rock and North Glenn. A group from the UM church in Syracuse, Kansas, 20
miles east of Holly, is also scheduled to help.
Bishop Warner Brown has requested a $10,000 grant from UMCOR to form relief
programs to assist survivors as they address the long-term effects of the
trauma to their lives.
Churches interested in sending small mission teams to the Holly area may
contact the Holly Volunteer Center at (719) 537-6047. Larger groups can
be co-coordinated through UMVIM (Volunteers In Mission.)
Disaster Response and Holly Needs
From Dave Lillie, Chair of Disaster Preparedness and Response::
On behalf of the Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee and
the United Methodist Volunteers In Ministry, we would like to thank
everyone who has either
helped directly or expressed a willingness to help the people of Holly, CO
recover from the tornado which devastated their town several weeks
ago. In response to
the many questions regarding how to help, and what role the Conference is playing
to assist with relief efforts, we want to offer the following advice and information:
First, we would ask everyone who wishes to be of assistance as part of
a UM sponsored work team to be patient. At this point in disaster recovery,
most parties are dealing with insurance companies, Federal relief agencies,
or other first-response organizations. The people of Holly can use our
help, but it will be most effective if we wait until they have had a chance
to find out what needs can be met by their own insurance and any state
or federal agencies which might offer help in the recovery and rebuilding
process. We recognize that Christ’s love evokes in us a compassion
that makes us want to be of service immediately, however to do so at this
point might very well be counterproductive or even harmful. Too often well
meaning people rush in to help and only make things more difficult by starting
repairs and new construction which hasn’t been properly planned and
may not meet local building and safety codes. Nothing is more heart-breaking
than to have something built with love demolished because it wasn’t
built properly! Please be patient - we will do our best to communicate
with those wishing to put together work teams and let you know when the
timing is right.
If the situation develops in such a way that UMVIM work teams can be
effectively used, our Conference’s UMVIM coordinators, Betsy Keyack
and Ann Fort, will arrange for leader training for anyone wishing to organize
a work team. This is essential! Insurance is also available through the
General church for people going on UMVIM organized work trips. If you or
someone you know wishes to lead such a team, please contact Betsy and Ann
and they will collect information so that you can be contacted when the
situation becomes more clear.
For those who wish to help as individuals and whose desire for compassionate
response demands immediate action, please contact the Holly community volunteer
center at 1-719-537-6047. They are assessing needs and identifying projects
on a weekly basis. Give them several days notice of when you wish to come
and what skills you possess. Be prepared to bring all of your own tools
and provide your own lodging and meals, as there is no housing currently
available in Holly for volunteers. Campers, travel trailers, or driving
to Lamar or other towns to stay in a motel will be required.
The people of Holly have been dealt a blow which is testing them to their
limits at this time. With our patience and assistance, they will recover
from this disaster and emerge as a stronger and more cohesive community
than before. It is not an easy process, and we must be careful not to add
to their burdens by poorly planned or thought out responses.
Please continue to pray for the people of Holly, and others in the Midwest
during this tornado season. You may also support them with your monetary
donations, given through your local United Methodist church. Remember,
100% of what you give in this fashion will go to help the victims - none
goes for administrative or other uses.
If you have any questions regarding this situation, or information that
you feel might be of importance, please send it to Rev. Dave Lillie (dave_lillie@bresnan.net),
RMC Disaster Response Committee Chairperson, Betsy Keyack (bkeyack@att.net)
or Ann Fort (annfort8269@comcast.net) who are coordinators for our Conference
UMVIM program.
One Great Hour of Sharing Supports UMCOR
OGHS
funds UMCOR which is then able to channel designated giving 100%
to the need. Here's how it works:
From a UMNS story from February, 2007: "One Great Hour of Sharing
is a primary funding source of UMCOR, which does not receive denominational
apportionment or World Service funds. ... One Great Hour of Sharing donations
are essential to UMCOR because the funds help underwrite the cost of doing
business so that 100 percent of the money donated to a specific UMCOR project
goes to that project and not to home office and administrative costs, according
to the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board
of Global Ministries, UMCOR’s parent agency.
“'The One Great Hour of Sharing offering on March 18 is a gift of
stability to UMCOR,' said Day. 'Our ability to respond and remain until
the job is done is in direct proportion to the generosity of United Methodists
at this time of offering.'
"Offering gifts from One Great Hour of Sharing over and above those
used to cover administrative costs are channeled where they are most
needed, Day said. UMCOR’s specialized ministries-responding in disaster,
fighting hunger, alleviating poverty, providing relief supplies around
the world and offering hospitality to immigrants and refugees-all
assist the world’s most vulnerable people." Complete story here.
How To Help
Many persons have been contacting the Rocky Mountain Conference Office
asking how they might help. We have developed a response plan that should
help us all respond in a helpful and caring way.
- First let us join in prayer for the families and friends impacted by
the event. We especially pray for those that have suffered
death and injury.
We are aware of least one church member who was injured.
- Second, if you wish to send financial donations, we recommend this
plan: Individuals may give through their own local church to
one of two funds,
Holly Community Relief or Holly UMC Church and Parsonage
fund. The first fund focuses on the general community, the second on
the impact
to the
ministry of the Holly Church, its members and pastoral family.
Funds should be collected by the local church and sent to the
Rocky Mountain Conference
Office designated to go to either one or both of these funds.
If you have questions or wish more information about helping
out financially, please
call Pat Moore at the Conference office, (303) 733-3736 Ext.
148.
- Third:
Any work teams interested in going to Holly to help with tornado
clean up can contact the Holly Volunteer Center at 719-537-6047.
All volunteer efforts are being coordinated through this number. They like
at least a couple of days notice from work teams. Jayne Adams,
the Bishop’s
Executive Assistant, is collecting names and numbers for work teams
who may want to participate in longer-term work there. Contact her at Jayne@rmcumc.com
or 303-733-0083.
- Contact the RMC UM Volunteers In Mission co-coordinators Betsy Keyack
at bkeyack@att.net or
Ann Fort at annfort8269@comcast.net
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