King of Kings, Alexandria, La., experienced significant flood damage following Hurricane Gustav, which hit Louisiana in September. WELS Relief initially granted King of Kings $60,000 for gutting and cleaning the church and parsonage. The relief dollars also provided material needs, including temporary housing for Pastor Chris Esmay and his family and support for the congregation as it plans for the future. “Hurricane rains can flood out lots of things here, but they can’t wash the name of Jesus off our foreheads,” says Esmay.

Cross of Glory, Baton Rouge, La., was damaged by Hurricane Gustav when high winds toppled several trees and caused extensive damage to both the church and neighboring homes. However, since the congregation has insurance, only limited outside funding has been necessary to support their cleanup efforts.