Churches reach out to people

Nearly 400 Southern Baptist churches were damaged by the hurricane.
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) -- The Rev. Edward Murphy wakes each day at 5 a.m., has Bible study, and within an hour is on the reconstruction site of hurricane-battered Shoreline Baptist Church.
The stocky, 61-year-old minister leaves footprints in the sawdust on the sanctuary floor as he makes his daily inspection of the two-story, brick building. When he reaches the outside rear of the church, he abruptly stops, smiles and turns to his wife, Karen.
"They have the meter in," he says.
"Praise the Lord," Karen Murphy replies.
Significance of meter
The significance of the meter is more than restored electricity. It means the church is that much closer to recovery and to becoming a symbol of hope to a community still scarred eight months after Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped it off the map.
"Virtually everybody who comes into Bay St. Louis comes by this church," the Rev. Mr. Murphy says. "I want it to be a shining light,"
Like the thousands of families washed from their homes and businesses along Mississippi's coast, church leaders from Waveland to Pascagoula face hard decisions about the future.
Some are rebuilding with the help of the faithful across the nation, while others have nothing left to rebuild and are relocating inland. A common thread for all is the challenge to provide healing for struggling churchgoers.
"We need to get these houses of worship in order as soon as possible before more people drift away," says William Perkins, editor of the Baptist Record, the Mississippi Baptist Convention's weekly news journal.
Between 300 and 400 Southern Baptist churches were damaged by the hurricane. Of those, about 100 were destroyed, Perkins says.
Restoration
Restoration is made possible from insurance settlements, donations and volunteer labor. Many churches get financial assistance from their headquarters. Few seek federal disaster loans.
In most cases, however, insurance payments are far short of what's needed.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi had its parishes, schools, deaf center and senior citizens apartments insured for $35 million on one policy, but Katrina did $70 million in damage.
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