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Clergy Listening TourThis is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? The Event:
The Experience:
The next day, delegates met with Desire Street Ministries to explore the Upper 9th Ward community based at the Agricultural Street Landfill. Many houses remained untouched after the hurricane and stories about families suffering from cancer and other illnesses resulting from the landfill abound. After touring the community, delegates attended a “Post Katrina Community Forum” to hear more stories from the community and explore ways that the NCC and the tour delegates could support efforts to rebuild the community and restore justice. Take Action: The rebuilding of New Orleans continues, with so much still to be done. You can help be a part of rebuilding a better New Orleans through our efforts to rebuilding New Orleans in an environmentally conscious way. More information
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The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program hosted a group of clergy members to visit and listen to community members in New Orleans, Louisiana, who are both struggling to rebuild and to restore justice for the land and their families amidst the presence of toxic waste in their community. This clergy listening tour was part of a larger week of worship, work, and witness organized by the National Council of Churches to commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. The group included delegates from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Episcopal Church. 
The clergy tour began in Chalmette, Shell Beach, Delacroix Island, and the Chalmette National Cemetery with St Bernard Parish Government Historian William Hyland. The damage to homes in this area was severe not only because of the close proximity to the eye of the hurricane, but also because the wetlands, which act as a natural barrier, are declining at an alarming rate. After the tour, the members met with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade staff members who currently work with the communities to bring attention to the Murphy’s Oil refinery spill during Hurricane Katrina and noxious gases from the nearby Exxon plant. Clergy also met with a deacon from the local Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church.
