Australian Lutherans respond to flood disaster; Canadians asked to pray

The Queensland Church House (district office) of Lutheran Church of Australia, located a few blocks from the Brisbane River at the height of the flooding.

by Katherina Dueck

As record breaking flood conditions continue across Queensland and northern New South Wales, Lutheran Church–Canada president, Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee is asking for the prayers of Lutherans in Canada to “support our fellow Lutherans so far away.”

Sections of the Lockyer Valley—located between Toowoomba and Brisbane and considered the Lutheran heartland—were either evacuated or placed on high flood alert after an “inland tsunami” (flash flood) struck Toowoomba on Monday, January 10, killing several people. While reports from Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) say all Lutherans are accounted for, many people remain missing.

Even residents in major centres such as Ipswich and Brisbane, who thought they were protected, find themselves faced with water levels exceeding the 1974 flooding, an event many thought would never happen. On January 11, Rev. Noel Noack, president of the Queensland District of Lutheran Church of Australia, sent an email that was chilling in its brevity. It simply stated, “Our offices will be flooded. We have taken precautions.”

Away from the urban centres lie the rural communities that may ultimately suffer the most. Even those unaffected by direct flooding face difficult times ahead.

“While many were not directly affected by the flood, the long period of wet weather has made it impossible to harvest what were very promising crops. This has been devastating to the farming community” Rev. Noack stated in letter to LCA pastors and congregations.

A letter from the district president on Thursday, January 13 reported the district office was flooded and encouraged pastors in flood affected areas to “make themselves known to authorities … to offer pastoral care, prayer and support to flood-affected people. Encourage your people to serve in a similar manner. There are some horrific stories of suffering … destruction and death.”

“We have unique relationship with the Lutheran Church of Australia and our hearts and prayers go out to those who are affected,” said President Bugbee. “When such a disaster strikes our brothers and sisters in Christ we all feel the impact and we pray that God will give the pastors and people of LCA His comfort and great compassion as they reach out to those who have suffered from the flooding.”

With many lines of communication down, and the flooding itself continuing, an accurate assessment of the widespread situation and the needs of those affected remain difficult. LCA continues to contact congregations and pastors to determine their needs and supply financial, physical and spiritual support and asks members of LCC congregations to offer prayers for affected residents, rescue workers and the work of the LCA pastors and people in the affected areas.

With reports from Lutheran Church of Australia and Linda Macqueen, editor  of The Lutheran

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