Our History
Restoring faith, home and community, in the name of Jesus, to Katrina survivors
The Beginning
In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama. Over one million households were displaced and over 250,000 homes destroyed. People from all over gave millions of dollars, and millions of volunteers traveled to the Gulf Coast to help those in need. Volunteer camps and tent cities sprung up along the coast to house and equip volunteer crews for “mucking” and “gutting” houses. The gargantuan task of rebuilding followed.
In the days immediately after Hurricane Katrina, a relief team of talented people, a number of whom had been displaced by the storm, was assembled to plan the response of the Southern District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod [LCMS]. Southern District President Kurtis Schultz asked Pastor David Lewis to serve as response coordinator. The Southern District Relief Team was established and the coordination of efforts and resources began to form with the purpose: “To bring hope, healing, and recovery to our workers, our churches and schools, our members and our neighbors.”
The efforts in the initial six months following the storm were immense. Assistance, encouragement and hands-on help were received from around the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and beyond. Thousands of volunteers came to serve and millions of dollars were contributed to relief efforts.
The scope of the effort was necessarily broad. This substantial response includes a huge volunteer-management effort, supplying salary support and counseling to affected church-workers, providing member-support activities, starting a community-development ministry, and giving ministry and facility grants to congregations.
Three volunteer camps were established in cooperation with Lutheran Disaster Response and the Southern District LCMS: Camp Biloxi at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Biloxi, MS, Camp Atonement at Atonement Lutheran Church in Metairie, LA and Camp Hope at Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Slidell, LA. In addition to these camps, many other Lutheran congregations in the affected area have hosted volunteers and been instrumental in the relief effort.
In the summer of 2006, plans were made to open Camp Restore in New Orleans on the once-flooded campus of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School. Laborers for Christ [LFC] (a ministry of Lutheran Church Extension Fund) under the leadership of LFC President Dan Baker, began the process of renovating the campus and converting it into a volunteer construction camp.
In August of 2006 Rev. David Buss was appointed director of the Disaster Relief Team, replacing Rev. Lewis, who resumed his calling to plant a church in Northern Mississippi.
Camp Restore was opened in October of 2006 with Pastor Ed Brashier as Camp Director. Designed to accommodate up to 300 volunteers, Camp Restore is equipped with a large RV trailer park, indoor showers, air conditioning, and a portable restaurant kitchen custom-built on a semi trailer by Orphan Grain Train.
In September 2007, RAI Ministries assumed operation of the volunteer hospitality operations of Camp Biloxi and assumed full operation of the camp in April 2008.
Through its volunteer camps, RAI Ministries has hosted over 30,000 volunteers and managed construction efforts to complete over 6,000 projects (2,750+ major home repairs and 4,000+ minor home repairs and other projects). Additionally, three churches and one school facility have been restored.
RAI Ministries grew further with the 2007 Recovery Plan entitled “Spirit Kindle.” Subsidiary divisions were formed in order to achieve specific ministry initiatives. Those objectives were: 1. Further developing Christian outreach in time of disaster (REinstitute); 2. Networking churches for ministry and community development (LINCNewOrleans); 3. Continuing to distribute resources to affected churches (Ministry Recovery).