Pastor testifies to God's wonderful post-Katrina work
March 26, 2007
The pastor of a predominately black Southern Baptist church in New Orleans says although there have been many problems and setbacks in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there have also been many triumphs. Race relations, he says, have continued to improve since the August 2005 catastrophe.
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church was flooded with more than nine feet of water when Katrina hit New Orleans more than 18 months ago. Since then, senior pastor Fred Luter has preached at several predominately white churches in Baton Rogue and New Orleans on a regular basis.
Luter says plans call for his congregation to re-occupy their church building in August. "Structurally, the building is fine," the pastor explains. "So we'll be able to go back in and rebuild."
And it will be an expensive undertaking, according to the pastor. "It's going to cost us [between] seven and nine million dollars to redo both buildings," he says, "but we need to be in that neighborhood. So we're going to rebuild and we're going to start all over. We just got about 20 percent of the people back."
Luter shares that God has been faithful throughout the entire ordeal. "He's done a wonderful, wonderful job in our lives," he testifies. "Our city will never be the same, our church will never the same -- but I promise you, we'll be a lot better because of what we've gone through."
Pastor Luter was one of 17 business and civic leaders chosen for the Bring New Orleans Back Commission charged with the assignment of developing a master plan for rebuilding the flood-ravaged city. It was only recently that Luter and his family were able to return to their home.
