Mandatory evacuation for three churches

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PITTSBURGH—According to Nelson Roth, pastor of Gulfhaven Mennonite Church in Gulfport, Miss., “a total assessment of Gustav’s impact is yet to be determined.”

Roth and his wife evacuated their home on Sept. 1 but returned the next day. Half of the members of the Gulfhaven church evacuated.

“People are beginning to come back in,” Roth said. “Things are OK here, compared to Katrina.”

But Roth said feelings of anxiousness for the future remains: “Gustav is revealing exactly how Katrina affected us beyond property damage.”

Roth also reported that the three Gulf States Mennonite Conference churches in Louisiana had mandatory evacuation. Those churches include Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Buras; Iglesia Amor Viviente in Metairie and Des Allemands Mennonite Church.

Bob Zehr, conference moderator, returned to his home in Des Allemands on Sept. 3. He has seen little structural damage, but the main problem is electrical outages.

Duane Maust, pastor of Jubliee Mennonite Church in Meridian, Miss., said his congregation hosted members of Iglesia Amor Viviente.

Before the hurricane, “We contacted the coast churches and paired them with an inland church,” Maust said. “If they don’t have family, they have church family to [care for them].”
Maust said that according to Carlos Enrique Bernhard, pastor of Iglesia Amor Viviente, members of that congregation evacuated to five different states.

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