CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 4, 2019 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) is deploying its first team of crisis-trained chaplains to the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, which caused catastrophic damage to the islands.
“Between conversations with pastors on the islands and the photos and videos that have come since Hurricane Dorian hit, it is easy to see that the destruction this storm has caused in the Bahamas will leave a lasting impact,” said Jack Munday, director of the RRT. “We are sending a small team of chaplains to the area immediately to assess how we can best serve that community and we will be sending additional chaplains as soon as conditions allow.”
At least seven people died with many others sustaining severe injuries during the storm. During a news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Hubert A. Minnis said this was a “historic tragedy,” calling the destruction “unprecedented and extensive.”
Additional RRT chaplains in Florida are visiting evacuation shelters, offering emotional and spiritual care to those who are temporarily housed there while the storm passes. More chaplains are on standby and ready to respond if Hurricane Dorian makes landfall in the United States. RRT chaplains are also serving in Odessa, Texas, after a shooting spree Saturday evening killed seven and left more than 20 injured.
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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