The Church of God in Chile expresses its gratitude for support and aid given by brothers and sisters in the United States, Latin America and Europe following the 8.8-point earthquake that affected a large part of the country.

“We are very thankful for the gesture of love and unity,” writes Chilean national leader, pastor Alberto Martínez Jordán. “We value your prayers, your words of encouragement and your support.”

With more than half a million dollars in donations received and the on-site assessments completed, Church of God Ministries (CGM) calls for individuals and congregations to sign up for work teams to go to Haiti as part of the relief and recovery operations. These teams will provide the labor force to work side by side with the Haitian people to complete the projects identified in phase two of the strategic response plan developed by the Disaster Relief Committee (DRC).

Hundreds are believed dead following a devastating mudslide that destroyed communities on the slopes of Mount Elgon, in eastern Uganda, on Sunday, February 28. To respond to this immediate need and help alleviate the suffering, Church of God Ministries is sending $5,000 in Disaster Relief Funds to career missionaries Tim and Colleen Stevenson.

By David Miller

Church of God believers in Chile spent several anxious days following Saturday’s devastating earthquake, unable to learn the fate of pastors José y Marcela Cisterna and their 3 children. The family had traveled to Los Angeles, Chile, a small city near the quake’s epicenter, to visit relatives. Due to damage to the country’s telecommunications and transportation systems, contact with both the Cisternas and their extended family was impossible.

Church of God Ministries announces that $5,000 in hunger relief funds will be sent immediately  to Chile in response to the earthquake that hit this South American country on Saturday, February 27. The money will be provided to church leaders there to help respond to the critical need for food and water for the victims of this tragedy.

The earthquake that hit Chile on Saturday, February 27, has claimed at least 708 lives, according to the latest BBC reports. Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile, says the death toll is expected to rise further. Two million people had been affected by the 8.8 quake, one of the most severe ever recorded and the largest to hit Chile in fifty years. Reconstruction of homes, highways and public buildings could cost tens of billions of dollars.

Phil Murphy, former missionary to Haiti, has accepted a six-month assignment from Church of God Ministries (CGM) to serve as the field coordinator for the Church of God disaster relief and recovery operations in Haiti. The disaster relief committee of CGM recognized the critical need for a person with Murphy’s skills and connection to guide the activities on the ground as the relief effort transitions into the second phase.

The Disaster Relief Assessment Team currently in Haiti has sent an initial report back to Church of God Ministries. The report highlights their visit to the Jacmel region along the southern coastal peninsula of the island, where several Church of God congregations are located. Meanwhile, the church continues a generous outpouring of love and support through contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund totaling $385,000 thus far. 

The Church of God Ministries (CGM) Disaster Relief Committee is rapidly moving into phase two of the recovery operations for Haiti and has arranged for a second assessment team to travel to Haiti on February 13. In cooperation with church leaders in Haiti and Church of God missionary John Ackerman, the team will conduct a more detailed assessment of the overall situation and travel to the southern part of the country to assess the damage to Church of God congregations in the area hit hardest by the earthquake. A second disbursement of $50,000 in disaster relief funds is being transferred to Haiti to support the ongoing relief and recovery operations.

Individuals and congregations from across the movement continue to respond to the critical need for funds to support the disaster relief and recovery operations in Haiti. Thus far, $234,600 has been donated to the disaster relief fund. The true scope of the devastation for those associated with the Church of God in Haiti has yet to be learned, but a second assessment team is scheduled to go to the country in mid-February and will deliver additional funds to support the relief and recovery effort.