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A Letter from Bishop Ken Carter

September 22, 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Western North Carolina Conference,

We are aware of the flooding that occurred during the week of August 17th in the Canton, Clyde and Cruso areas of Haywood County. We continue to pray for those who lost loved ones to death in the flood, and we continue to stand alongside hundreds of families whose lives have been upended by damage to their homes.

I give thanks for the work of the Canton Missional Network, which includes many of our pastors in these communities, for the leadership of Rev. Jae Lee of the Smoky Mountain District, for the ministry of hospitality at Lake Junaluska that is already supporting this work, and for the resilience of the people in these communities.

On Sunday, September 26, I encourage you to collect an offering in your morning worship services for the ongoing mission and relief work in Canton, Clyde and Cruso. The offering will specifically help with the support of a local person who will assist our missional network with the long-term response and provide support for mission teams. In my conversations with local leadership, these are their greatest needs.

I ask that you do this in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 8 and Philippians 4. The people of these communities have always been connectional and generous toward those in need. In the present moment we are called to join them in God’s mission of restoration and repair.

The offering can be sent to: Treasurer, WNCC, PO Box 2757, Huntersville, NC 28078 or can be made through our online portal here.

We are also sharing a prayer by the Rev. Jae Lee for use in your worship service on September 26.

Thank you for considering this request.

The Peace of the Lord,

+Ken Carter
Resident Bishop, Western North Carolina Conference
The United Methodist Church

A Prayer for Those Who are Hurting & Those Who are Helping in the Aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred
Rev. Dr. Jae Lee, Smoky Mountain District Superintendent

O, gracious God who created beautiful mountains, valleys, and rivers and freely gave them to us as a life-giving gift, we rejoice in your creation and appreciate the beauty of your gifts. We even add our houses, church buildings, businesses, and community centers to your creation and live together with other creatures. Yet in your creation, we still have disasters: some caused by human greed, and others by unknown reasons.

Recently, our sisters and brothers in mountain communities of western North Carolina have lost their loved ones and homes in the flooding that followed a tropical storm.

Even in our grief and suffering, we hold our hope in you, O gracious God. Comfort those who are suffering, strengthen those who are helping, and restore us all so that we may experience your faithful presence in both our pain and recovery efforts.

As we gather our gifts, helping hands, and prayers for our sisters and brothers, transform us with your abundant grace and recreate our communities with your never-failing love.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Learn more about the Special Sunday Offering for Tropical Storm Fred relief efforts in Western North Carolina.

Download a copy of Bishop Carter's letter.

Download a copy of Rev. Dr. Jae Lee's prayer.

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