June 18, 2007 issue
In New Orleans, MCC supports post-Katrina partnerships
By Marla Pierson Lester Mennonite Central CommitteeAKRON, Pa. — Before Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, St. John Baptist Church in the Uptown area of New Orleans was a growing, thriving congregation with 300 members.
In New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, scores of churches and homes were destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. — Photo by Bob Zehr/MC USA
Now only about 100 of those have returned to New Orleans, said Pastor Don Boutte.
Damage to the church building was severe. The roof was torn off and the building inundated by rainwater. Renovations are on hold until power company workers are available to reconnect utilities.
But no matter how well the renovations go, the heart of any church is its members, and two-thirds of them have not come back.
Boutte said those who could afford to return were homeowners, often retirees who had finished paying for their houses. Young families were most often renting their homes.
Even if they wanted to return, it might be tough to find housing they could afford.
To Boutte, this underscores the need for churches to get involved in providing affordable housing to redevelop communities.
“You can’t develop the church without membership, and the membership can’t get back unless they have somewhere to live,” Boutte said.
Bouette’s home was destroyed, and he recently moved to an area 45 miles outside New Orleans, an improvement over living 125 miles away, as he did most of the time since Katrina.
Mennonite Central Committee is providing $75,000 to enable a team of local African-American pastors to begin to work toward affordable housing for returning church members and for others in the community.
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