First Katrina, Now a Fire: Greater St. Stephen in New Orleans (UPDATE!)

Add to the growing prayer list Bishop Paul S. Morton and Senior Pastor Debra Morton, whose Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans was soaked by Hurricane Katrina and now ravaged by fire.

Despite the physical damage, the story from www.nola.com reports that the members remain strong and ready to rebuild:

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/central_city_church_ravaged_by.html

Photo: DRE Photography

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

From Kia Jarmon of Light Records:

Greater St. Stephen Ministries Temporarily Relocates to Congregation Temple Sinai for Worship Services after 3 Alarm Fire Destroys the Church

Who: Pastor Debra B. Morton and the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church Family

What: Temporarily Relocates to Congregation Temple Sinai for Worship Services

When: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Time: 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Worship Service Times

Where: Congregation Temple Sinai
6227 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118

New Orleans, LA., Wednesday, July 9, 2008Senior Pastor Debra B. Morton and the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church Family will hold worship services at Congregation Temple Sinai this Sunday, July13th at 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM. The relocation to Temple Sinai is a result of a three-alarm fire that caused extensive interior damage to the main sanctuary of Greater St. Stephens uptown location early Monday morning.

Pastor Debra B. Morton said, On behalf of the GSS church family, Id like to thank everyone for their words, deeds and most importantly their prayers as we cope with this tragic situation. We are eternally grateful to Rabbi Edward Cohn, the leaders and members of Temple Sinai for opening their doors to receive our church family in love. They are true examples of Gods love here on earth!

Rabbi Edward Cohn said, In the wake of last Mondays devastating fire which destroyed the sanctuary of one of New Orleans religious landmarks, an opportunity for interfaith love and cooperation was presented to our historic congregation. Bruce Nolan, religion reporter from the Times Picayune put us in touch with Greater St. Stephen leadership and we offered a setting for their Sunday services for at least a month while reparations are underway until they’re completed by a company similar to this ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba, as an example of just one of the teams that could offer restoration for the structure. Temple Sinai is a house of prayer for all people and all who enter our doors in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood are always welcome and that includes the members of Greater St. Stephen Ministries while these unfortunate series of events are being remedied.

Congregation Temple Sinai, was founded in 1870. It was the first Jewish Temple in New Orleans and is currently the largest synagogue in the state of Louisiana . Temple Sinai prides itself on having a diverse membership inclusive of old line Jewish families and interfaith-married families. The synagogue was the site of the first integrated public meeting in the history of New Orleans . In 1949, Temple Sinai made history when they opened its doors to Dr. Ralph Bunch an African-American, Noble Peace Prize winner.

Bishop Paul S. Morton said, Katrina proved that we the citizens of New Orleans are a resilient people and I have no doubt in my mind that because we are people of faith, God will see us through. The new Greater St. Stephen sanctuary will be even greater.

The exact cause of fire is yet to be determined. But fire officials are 99% sure that the fire may have been caused by an electrical malfunction that may have started in the ceiling, so the electrics of the building will no doubt need some serious repair work from a professional company, like SALT (you could visit the site to see what sort of work they are able to help with). According to Greg Davis, a fire department spokesperson, arson is not suspected. No official cause of fire has been released by NOFD. The losses weren’t limited to business or faith properties: Many people have lost their homes and belongings in the blaze that swept through the area, and whilst some have coverage from www.simplyinsurance.com, others will need help rebuilding all that has been lost, much like Pastor Debra B. Morton and the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church Family.

Sundays worship services will be open to the media. All media related questions and interview request should be directed to Angela Young, (504) 416-2747, cell and/or [email protected].