Ministry in the Wake of the Flood: Anglican Presence in Kerrville and Comfort, TX
By the Right Reverend Julian Dobbs
Give to ARDF to support flood relief
On Wednesday, July 9, Bishop-elect Marc Steele and I arrived in Kerrville, Texas, to assist in the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding that struck the Hill Country over the July 4 weekend. Representing the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word and the Anglican Church in North America, our purpose was to coordinate disaster response, offer pastoral care, and support local Anglican presence on the ground.
Two disaster relief trailers from Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast and the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) had already arrived—one from Holy Cross Anglican in Baton Rouge, LA and the other from St. Timothy’s Anglican Church in Spring, Texas. Together, they delivered over 600 flood buckets, along with bottled water, hygiene kits, diapers, and basic tools. Each bucket contained cleaning agents, gloves, drywall knives, and other supplies to help families begin the work of gutting and restoring their homes.
A team from San Antonio assisted with the initial unloading and distribution. Over the following three days, ARDF representative Doug Lee personally delivered more than 75% of the flood buckets across Kerrville, Comfort, Ingram, and Hunt. The remaining buckets were staged at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Kerrville, where residents continued to come for help throughout the week.Pastoral needs were immediate and significant. A 13-year-old great-granddaughter of one parishioner lost her life at Camp Mystic. Another, an 82-year-old woman, had been rescued through a hole in her roof cut by her son.
The rector of St. Michael’s lost his home and all of its contents; his son escaped with only minutes to spare. In the same city, an ACNA priest who also serves as a funeral director had received over 100 deceased individuals in a matter of days.
