Search Religion News

Show summaries



Religion News
Israeli News

Top News Stories
U.S. Political News
Canadian News

Christian Magazines
Link To Us

Bible Resources
• Bible Study Aids
• Bible Devotionals
• Audio Sermons
Community
• ChristiansUnite Blogs
• Christian Forums
Web Search
• Christian Family Sites
• Top Christian Sites
Family Life
• Christian Finance
• ChristiansUnite KIDS
Read
• Christian News
• Christian Columns
• Christian Song Lyrics
• Christian Mailing Lists
Connect
• Christian Singles
• Christian Classifieds
Graphics
• Free Christian Clipart
• Christian Wallpaper
Fun Stuff
• Clean Christian Jokes
• Bible Trivia Quiz
• Online Video Games
• Bible Crosswords
Webmasters
• Christian Guestbooks
• Banner Exchange
• Dynamic Content
Subscribe to our Free Newsletter.
Enter your email address:

Religion News
 You're here » News Main Index » Religion News
Religion News
Printer friendly version
Email page to a friend
Link to this story

Ft. Lauderdale-Based Ministry Recovers Slowly After Wilma's Buffeting

by Allie Martin
November 10, 2005
Like This Page?

(AgapePress) - - Florida-based Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM), one of the largest and most active Christian ministries in the U.S. and the world, is working on repair and recovery in the wake of Hurricane Wilma. Though CRM's facilities sustained some damage, a spokesman says daily operations are slowly returning to normal.

Fort Lauderdale, home to Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Dr. D. James Kennedy's Center for Reclaiming America, and the broadcast outreaches of Coral Ridge Ministries, was hit hard by Hurricane Wilma. The storm, which roared across South Florida October 24 with sustained winds of more than 100 miles per hour, ripped the roof off Coral Ridge Presbyterian and allowed water to flow into the massive sanctuary. Some of the CRM offices also sustained major damage, including the ministry's distribution center.

Dr. Tom Rogeberg is executive vice president of Coral Ridge Ministries. He says Hurricane Wilma hit at a time when the ministry was already experiencing a downturn in donations, so he and the other ministry personnel "certainly pray that our [supporters] will be understanding that maybe our response will be a little slower than normal to various inquiries."

Rogeberg says the storm damage "has caused a number of logistical problems, but we have been receiving some mail now." He is urging friends and supporters of the ministry to be patient as well as to remember that any financial help that they can provide "would be certainly very helpful [in helping] us to rebuild quicker."

The CRM official notes that the offices for the ministry's television outreach, the church, and the Center for Reclaiming America all sustained heavy damage during the hurricane, and most ministry employees were not able to return to work for nearly two weeks while the power and phone service were out. Still, he acknowledges that the situation could have been worse.

"We do have extensive damage to the roof of our church," Rogeberg says. "More than three-quarters of the roof has come off. Much of the sanctuary ceiling, large portions of it, have already come down on the pews -- and we're praising God that no one has been seriously injured, no one has been killed [as a result of the damage]. This is nothing like our dear friends in the Gulf Coast area experienced."

Coral Ridge Presbyterian's Sunday services are currently being held in the church's fellowship hall. Electric power has been restored to the CRM facilities, and both phone and e-mail connections are again fully functional. Rogeberg says the ministry is thanking God and also thanking concerned friends and supporters for their prayers.

CRM's television broadcast ministry reaches 156 countries, its radio broadcasts go into more than 200 countries, and its "Evangelism Explosion" lay-evangelism training outreach is used in every nation on Earth. As CRM president Dr. D. James Kennedy notes on the organization's website, 'God is using this ministry to reach all over this world with the Gospel of Christ and that [is why] we want to get back up and operating as soon as possible."


Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.

Discuss this article in the ChristiansUnite Discussion Forums

Back to Religion News Headlines.




More From ChristiansUnite...    About Us | Privacy Policy | | ChristiansUnite.com Site Map | Statement of Beliefs



Copyright © 1999-2025 ChristiansUnite.com. All rights reserved.
Please send your questions, comments, or bug reports to the

NOTE: News and information presented on this web site is for informational purposes only. ChristiansUnite.com does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed.