East Central District, June 17

In Cedar Rapids, the Salem UMC, St. James UMC, Trinity UMC, and the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub have all experienced significant damage from the flooding. The full extent of the damage will not be known until they are allowed to go in and inspect the damage, hopefully by later this week. The Salem congregation is worshiping on Sundays at 11 at Lovely Lane UMC. The St. James congregation is worshipping on Sundays at 10:45 at St. Mark’s UMC. The Trinity congregation is worshipping on Sundays at 11 at Asbury UMC. Please be in prayer for these congregations.

While being interviewed on KCRG Channel 9, the Rev. Linda Bibb shared a powerful testimony in the way she reframed the situation that the Salem congregation finds itself in. When asked how her church is doing while showing a picture of the building almost covered by floodwater, Linda told of how her people had worked to evacuate other members of the congregation and people in their neighborhood in the days and hours before the flooding began. She reminded KCRG---and all of us---that that’s the church. She said: “So we’re sad about our building, but Salem Church is doing well.” Thanks be to God for this faithful witness---that while our buildings are precious to and indeed-holy ground—the church is not the building!

-Jill Sanders