Presbyterian Church Relief Fund

Established February 9, 2009

Offers of help came flooding in, beginning early on Sunday February 8, although church commitments meant that I didn't look at my emails until later in the day.

In co-ordination with the Moderator General, Robert Benn, who has been hugely supportive throughout this whole time, and each of us with our respective Clerks, John Wilson in Victoria and Paul Logan for the GAA, we agreed to issue an appeal to the Victorian church for funds that could be used by local ministers to relieve hardship wherever they felt it was necessary, but the church nationwide has responded with open hearts and open offering plates!

By the grace of God, Presbyterian churches have escaped with little direct impact. We have lost no members and no buildings. However, as you can imagine, many of our members have been deeply affected, either by the death of family members or neighbours, or by the loss of homes, places of work, farm equipment, tools of trade, etc.

As things stand at the time of writing (Feb 27) we have distributed $10,000 to an ecumenical welfare fund in Whittlesea that the local Presbyterian congregation and minister have been involved with. They are seeking to establish a "shop front" in the town from which they will be able to supply material needs and perhaps counselling as well, to affected people, for a long time into the future, perhaps 2 or 3 years.

We are also currently considering applications that have come to us from various ministers for assistance within their parishes or families known to them. The specific needs that have been highlighted to us range from $2,000 to $50,000 or $60,000 and we are confident we will be able to assist all those who have so far asked, although for obvious reasons I won't be revealing any more detail publicly.

A full report of the funds gathered and distributions made will be presented to the Presbyterian Church of Victoria Commission of the General Assembly on May 5, 2009.