Moderator urges generosity for flood victims
The Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of New South Wales and the ACT, the Rev. Niall Reid, has launched a rural crisis Flood Appeal in response to the unrelenting rain and flooding across New South Wales in late 2010.
Despite years of drought, December’s heavy rains have brought misery to Eastern Australia.
Weeks of drenching rains have submerged homes, destroyed crops and killed people.
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes.
Attorney General Robert McClelland has declared 45 communities in Queensland and New South Wales natural disaster zones.
New South Wales State Emergency Service received nearly 2,300 calls for help in two weeks.
Uniting Church rural chaplain Julie Greig said, “It’s hard to imagine just how widespread the damage has been. It is not only those areas that are flooded but right across the state nearly every cereal crop has been damaged and downgraded if not destroyed entirely.
"The very heavy rains have also taken their toll on fruit crops such as cherries and apples and vegetable crops.
“Primary producers are incredibly resilient but it has been very hard to have the best crop in years so close to being ripe and harvested and then being washed away in front of their eyes.
"Once Christmas is over and the reality of very little money going into the bank hits home, there will be some significant mental health issues.”
Premier Kristina Keneally said the crisis had wiped out up to $500 million of the expected $3.2 billion value of the New South Wales winter crop.
“New South Wales farmers have endured years of drought only to see their crops wrecked and harvesting stopped by rain and floods,” she said.
Mr Reid said, “The floods have irreparably damaged the crops of many who were living in the hope that this year’s harvest would be the best in a decade or more.
“Once again the rural economy faces considerable ongoing stress. Of more concern is the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of those who have endured so much despair and now see their hopes, raised by the rain, now being washed away by it.”
Donations to the flood appeal can be made using this coupon.
Any money received will be used by the Synod Disaster Fund to provide pastoral relief, support for the work of the Rural Chaplains, and provision of funds to congregations setting up programs to aid in the recovery of their local communities.
Mr Reid said, “Just recently I approved the allocation of funds to cover the costs of Fred and Anne Humphries, who spent a considerable time visiting in the Riverina Presbytery during the drought to follow up but now they are visiting flood-affected families in the same region. Their ministry was significant in helping to build resilience through the drought and I hope we can fund similar short-term initiatives in other areas should people’s generosity mean we have the funds.”
Mr Reid asked if congregations could consider providing some or all of their Christmas offerings to the flood appeal. “I would be grateful, in any event, if you would encourage your members to give to the appeal.”
“I pray that through the generosity of our church we will be witnesses to the generosity of God that we celebrate and experience in this Christmas season in the gift of his Son.”
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