OPC Disaster Response

Disaster Response

The OPC’s disaster response ministry is overseen by the OPC Disaster Response Coordinator and the CDM’s Disaster Response Subcommittee (DRS).

Presbytery Disaster Response Oversight:

The CDM encourages presbyteries to take steps to prepare themselves to oversee response efforts should a disaster occur in their region:

Link to Presbytery Disaster Response Oversight

Volunteer:

Link to How to Volunteer

Donate:

Link to How to Donate

Website:

Link to OPC Disaster Response Website

Facebook:

Link to OPC Disaster Response Facebook Page

Videos:

Link to Disaster Response Videos for Deacons

Evangelist:

The DRS determined that it would be appropriate to use Hurricane Harvey disaster response funds to support an evangelist to minister to the long-term spiritual needs of those affected by the hurricane in Houston. Rev. Nick Lammé was called to serve in this capacity. Learn more about his ministry in the following articles:

An Evangelist in Houston by Mark Sumpter (New Horizons, March 2019)
Grieving as a Community by Nick Lammé (OPC.org, May 2019)

The Houston Story:

The OPC was directly impacted by six different hurricanes in 2017-2018. The magnitude of Hurricane Harvey in particular forced OPC Disaster Response to a new level of both opportunity and ministry. The long-term work in Houston has brought moving stories of how volunteers from the OPC and beyond have changed peoples’ lives — both physically and spiritually. This has provided a template for future ministry that we want to share with the church.

The Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM) hired a professional to produce a number of resources for the church, including a documentary-style video that shares the testimonies of those who have been helped by the OPC Hurricane Harvey Response Ministry in Houston. The goal of the video is to inspire people to get involved, and to register in advance to serve as disaster response volunteers.

In June 2019, the CDM released the video at General Assembly and the commissioners watched it in full. The response was encouraging and there was an expressed eagerness from some pastors to gain access to the video for use in their churches.