We maintain an active blog at www.stjohnpartners.blogspot.com.  For more information and current news about our efforts in New Orleans, click on titles of articles in this list to read recent blog entries.

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast Region and the breaking of levees in New Orleans, CBCers began discerning ways in which we might respond to this disaster. We soon realized that the destruction had been so vast and the response so inadequate that as a faith community we wanted to respond in a way that would address both concrete needs as well as the overarching institutional structures of racism and disregard for the economically dispossessed that got in the way of meeting these needs.

Through our connection with the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, we learned of the Churches Supporting Churches (CSC) program which aims to address tangible needs as well as be a prophetic witness to the transformational ways in which faith communities are called to respond with justice.  Central Baptist Church voted unanimously to become a partner church in Churches Supporting Churches in April 2007.

Through CSC, Central Baptist will be one of hopefully ten churches to be partnered with St. John Baptist Church in New Orleans, where the Rev. Donald Boutte is pastor.  Each partner church makes an initial contribution of up to $1,000 and then contributes $100 per month for a period of three years, during which time it also responds to needs identified by the New Orleans partner church.  Some needs already identified include on-site technical support in areas like mortgage negotiations, IRS issues, insurance claims, architecture, construction, neighborhood development, education, and community youth programs;  also hymnal and educational materials replacement.

St. John's pastor, Rev. Donald Boutte, is a member of the five-person pastoral leadership team of Churches Supporting Churches.  He also serves on the staff of Policy Link, a national advocacy group.  “He is a wise and energetic pastor who sees both the needs of his church and neighborhood and the needs of the city as part of a big picture,” says LeDayne McLeese Polaski, who has worked with the Rev. Boutte in CSC.  “He knows the bigger policy and advocacy issues that shape how the city is being rebuilt (or not) and for whom.”

Churches Supporting Churches, initiated by numerous denominations and ecumenical movements and supported by the National Council of Churches USA, has identified 12 devastated neighborhoods in New Orleans and committed to restart, repair, and rebuild three churches in each neighborhood by inviting up to ten churches from around the country to partner with each church.

The 36 New Orleans churches have a history of commitment to community development and are serving as anchors for the re-creation of all that makes community life possible.  These congregations and their pastors are working to replace the structures and support systems that will enable their communities to function as healthy, nurturing environments.

CSC has a three-fold strategy:

• strengthen the health and unity of the pastors, spouses and members
• rebuild the bricks and mortar and spiritual life of these congregations
• extend and expand the capacity of the historical role of the African American Church as the key agent for community

Visit the CSC website at http://www.cscneworleans.org/indexB.html for a complete introduction to the project.

 

CSC Introduction and Outline for Strategy

Video Presentations about CSC