‘You can open a gate for them to do something for others’

The Rev. Dr. Ramy Marcos of Erwin Presbyterian Church is among the pastoral caregivers in Holston Presbytery

by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Ramy N. Marcos, the pastor of Erwin (Tennessee) Presbyterian Church, talks with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance representatives about the church’s response to Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

ERWIN, Tennessee — The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance solidarity visit following Hurricanes Milton and Helene concluded last week with a day in Holston Presbytery in Tennessee, where resilience, innovation and togetherness were on display just as they were throughout the 10-day visit.

Those qualities came to the fore at Erwin Presbyterian Church, where the Rev. Dr. Ramy Marcos, a distinguished scholar and pastor who grew up in Egypt, has served for about 18 months. Marcos and others got to work on hurricane relief the day after Helene departed Tennessee on Sept. 27.

One member lost a house, and another their radio station. “The most impacted is the marginalized community, especially the Hispanic community,” Marcos said. “The church is fine, but 10% of the community is gone.”

Damage to many major employers in Northeast Tennessee deepens the impact of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

Marcos encouraged those who needed shelter to find it at the local high school and middle school. “A week or two later, we understood this will not go away easily,” he said. “The need was increasing as the shelters were closing.”

Helpers at the church saw the need to provide fresh food — milk, eggs or a sandwich. Many people were running out of gas, and so the church’s 119 members collected donations to purchase an initial 40 $100 gift cards. Just as importantly, “we used the church to listen to people” three days each week, Marcos said. “People started coming and we heard a lot of stories.” A high-school Spanish teachers provided interpretation for those who needed it, and smart phones with language capabilities came in handy.

As of last week, the church had distributed 92 gift cards, relying on donations from as far away as France. “We want to continue for as long as we can,” Marcos said. “The needs are changing, and we are finding a niche to provide.”

Erwin’s ministerial association “is working together about sustaining our contribution,” he said.

“It still baffles me how you made it to Erwin, Tennessee. I’m grateful you did,” said the Rev. Karen Russell, the presbytery’s transitional executive presbyter. “If ever there was someone in the right place at the right time, it’s you.”

Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter and Holston Presbytery Transitional Executive Presbyter the Rev. Karen Russell spoke with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance representatives about Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

“Not only are you thinking about the moment, you’re thinking about the future,” said PDA’s director, the Rev. Edwin González-Castillo. Following disasters, communities often ask, “What are we going to do when those providing the emergency response leave?”

“That’s what you’re doing,” González-Castillo told Marcos. Also present during the three gatherings in Holston Presbytery was the presbytery’s temporary disaster coordinator, the Rev. Allen Huff.

When providing pastoral care, Marcos said he focuses on listening and being supportive. One church member barely escaped the floodwaters. “Now their sense of security has been broken,” he said. Others “have lost some things, and they have a financial burden.”

“You want to validate their emotions and say, ‘Your loss is a loss. How can we support you?’ People feel guilty that they didn’t die. You can open a gate for them to do something for others,” Marcos said. “How can you use your time to help others: pray, volunteer, give them options to help. That’s the main idea.”

“By God’s providence,” Marcos was preparing a sermon on prayer on that first Sunday following the storm. “I said, ‘Come and cry, literally and metaphorically.’ People shed tears and hugged each other. It was a stressful time for my congregation, but it was a safe space.”

The next week he preached on being a child of God. “God welcomes us, and we have to welcome others. You will forever be a child of God,” he told those in worship. “We have a goal to achieve, which is to make the community stronger.”

Earlier on Friday, PDA’s González-Castillo and the Rev. Dr. Jim Kirk, the Associate for National Disaster Response, visited Mountain City Presbyterian Church.

“We had people sleeping on their porches with their house gone,” said Larry Potter, Johnson County Mayor. “If you’re 70 years old, you can’t take out a loan and start over, but these mountain people are resilient.”

More than 300 rescues occurred in Johnson County, which is about 2½ hours northeast of Knoxville. “The creek was out of control,” Potter said. “There is a real disconnect between wanting to help and getting to Johnson County.”

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6908 Commander Daniel Parsons talked about the VFW’s response to Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

Daniel Parsons of the Cpl. Worley W. Hall VFW Memorial Post 6908 said post members put everything in boxes and took them home for safekeeping. Among the prize possessions: the flag that draped Sgt. Alvin York’s casket.

The solidarity visit concluded at Newport Presbyterian Church, which has hosted dozens of volunteers since Helene.

“It started with a grandfather and granddaughter from Oak Ridge,” said Jimmy Robertson, a ruling elder at the Newport church. “They stayed in the church library.”

The Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, director of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, listens to Ruling Elder Jimmy Robertson of Newport Presbyterian Church as he talked about the church’s response to Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

The next day, volunteers from Kentucky arrived. Then a group from First Presbyterian Church of Kenova, West Virginia, paid the first of two visits. Next month, a group of 30 people from Ohio will spend a week working in the impacted community. People interested in working in the Newport area and staying at the church can contact the Volunteer Resource Center.

Ruling Elder Dan Lindsey of Newport Presbyterian Church talks about the church’s response to Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Rich Copley)

“We have 32 cots. People are doing the things that need to be done to accommodate the workers,” said Dan Lindsey, another ruling elder at the Newport church.

Many “leave stuff behind for the next group,” said Robertson. “We see teenagers to people in their 70s.”

“To my knowledge,” Robertson said, “this is the only place [in the community] housing volunteers.”

The church has about 40 members and sees about 16 people worshiping each Sunday. A grant that PDA has approved will help the Newport church with the cost of hosting volunteers. PDA grant funds come mainly through generous gifts to the One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering.

Lindsey said he expects the number of volunteers to surge next spring “and be busy all summer.” A church member stops by each day to wash the volunteers’ towels, take out the trash, tidy up the kitchen and make sure the chruch’s bathrooms are stocked with supplies.

“We have kept it simple because that’s what we can manage,” Robertson said. “I think we will keep doing this as long as the volunteers keep coming.”

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of the Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. You can donate to help with the hurricane response of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance by clicking here.