Kinnamon: Devastation in Haiti calls for 'unprecedented' response

New York: January 14, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches is urging an "immediate and generous response" to calls for aid following the earthquake that devastated Haiti Tuesday.

"The destruction around Port-au-Prince is so massive it can't yet be measured," said the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon. "What is clear is that the toll in lives and property will go beyond our ability to comprehend it. The situation has few precedents in our lifetimes, and our response to it must also be unprecedented."

Kinnamon called upon the 45-million members of congregations related to NCC member communions to act immediately to support the people of Haiti and relief organizations that are sending workers, food and water, clothing, and other necessities to Haiti.

He cited contributions to Church World Service , the NCC's sister relief organization and historic partner, as a direct way of helping the people of Haiti.

"We must pray for the people of Haiti, hundreds of thousands of whom are grieving the loss of loved ones, wandering dazed and homeless and hungry," Kinnamon said. "May our loving God be a powerful presence in their lives. Tragedies like this one are impossible to understand, and we need to remind ourselves that God is also shedding tears at the pain and suffering of God's children in Haiti."