CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2019 – Teams of crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) are deploying to two sites in Texas after historic flooding from Tropical Depression Imelda, while other chaplains are responding in Lancaster County, South Carolina, after an early morning shooting, Saturday, that left two dead and nine injured.
The National Weather Service in Houston said Imelda was the seventh wettest tropical cyclone in U.S. history, reportedly soaking southeast Texas with more than 42.6 inches of water—including 25 inches in 12 hours. The RRT will have two Mobile Ministry Centers in Texas—one in Vidor and the other in Winnie—along with approximately six chaplains at each site.
“The damage caused by this amount of rainfall in such a short period of time is devastating,” said Jack Munday, international director of the RRT. “As we pray for the many families who have lost their homes, possessions, and dreams, they are suffering more than we can imagine. Our RRT chaplains will work alongside Samaritan’s Purse, and local churches, to offer God’s hope, help, and support in this very difficult time.”
Teams of RRT chaplains are already stationed in Rockport and Pearland, Texas, where they have been since May 2018, ministering alongside Samaritan’s Purse as the area rebuilds after Hurricane Harvey.
In addition to the teams of chaplains headed to Texas, a pair of crisis-trained chaplains are in Lancaster County, South Carolina, ministering to those who were at the scene of the shooting, including first responders. The shooting occurred just before 3 a.m. at the Old Skool Sports Bar and Grill.
“As anger, despair and hopelessness continue to grip the lives of so many people, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains were requested by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department to offer emotional and spiritual care after this early morning shooting,” said Munday.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 400 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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