Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Here in the East Bay where I live, the sky is orange with the smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County. It’s a reminder of the tragic development of the devastating fire over the last 24-48 hours.
Sadly, we have experienced too many of these fires lately here in California. Our hearts are with our family and friends in Paradise and the surrounding communities, and we are praying for them.
We are sad to announce that the Paradise church was destroyed in the fire, and reports are also saying that the kindergarten through fourth-grade section of the Paradise Academy campus is also gone. The whole area is still an evacuation zone, so we won’t know the full extent of the damage until a later time. The fire continues to rage, threatening other areas. We will post updates as they are available.
I’m sure our members from around the conference, union, and division will come to the aid of those affected by the fire, as they have done in the past. But since the fire is still moving forward right now, at this time I am urging everyone to stay safe.
During times like these, we have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus for each other. Please consider donating to NCC Disaster Relief to help those who have been struck by this fire. And also pray so that people affected will feel that the Lord is near them, even in the midst of this calamity.
Sincerely,
Marc K. Woodson
President, Northern California Conference