Press event:

Mpls, MN (GMS October 18, 2005) Meet the team of 12 pastors and volunteers from the Southern Gulf Region hosted by the Minnesota African American Hurricane Katrina Relief Collaborative (MnAAHKRC). The team arrived in the Twin Cities this week to conduct a special briefing on the resettlement strategies to continue in aid to the displaced Katrina survivors in Minnesota and will also be the guests of the scheduled special Ecumenical Service. The purpose of the Ecumenical Service will also be announced during the press conference: October 21, 2005 at 1:00 PM, New Salem Baptist Church, 2519 Lyndale Ave N., Mpls, MN, 612-522- 2951.

For the past month or so, the Hurricane Katrina survivors have been serviced by the state and by individuals in the state including the church. It is important that the church body in the state of Minnesota gather to show families not only do we support them, but we are concerned about their spiritual well being as well as meeting their physical needs.

It is estimated through the FEMA registrations there are approximately 1300 families here in the state of Minnesota throughout the 7 county reach and that equates to about 3500 people in our state.

“We know that approximately 85-90% of the evacuees that have come here from the southern region are of African heritage and we also know that there are other descendants in that total number -- native American, Chinese and Caucasian to name some,” states a spokesperson for the collaborative Reverend Devin Miller.

There have been a number of meetings going on through the Minnesota Council of Churches headed by Executive Director Reverend Peg Chemberlin to train and inform the churches within the state of how they can help. We want to do this in a respectful and deliberate way -- understanding that these [evacuees] are not 'refugees, but 'displaced Americans'. A lot of them can do what they need to do on their own. But what we've been trying to show the church in its totality that there is still a support that these families need. The supporting partners of the collaborative have been working meticulously on making sure that the churches are aware of their role and responsibility and in what support looks like contrary to the 'refugee settlement' type model.

Ecumenical Service event:

Minnesota Statewide Ecumenical Service for Katrina Survivors, Keynote Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 5:45 PM promptly, Minneapolis Convention Center. The Ecumenical Service is a Minnesota statewide call for white, black and all congregations to come together in one place in a spiritual celebration of Katrina survivors’ safe arrival in Minnesota and welcome them as they resettle in our communities. But also, to show to the state of how different types of congregations can come together cross denominations -- Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal and Non-Denominational, whether African American, white American, Hmong, Korean... "We're calling on 'the church' to come together; really demonstrate the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven and demonstrate the love of God to people in a very meaningful way, remarked the service coordinator Reverend Devin Miller.

For further information contact: Rev. Devin Miller, 651.276.4293. For Media Credentials/Interviews Contact: Grace Media Services (GMS), Prophetess SB Barber Stalling, 763.221.6894, and email: gms_client@GMNetwork.cc