- Floods in Rio Grande do Sul displaced about 580,000 people in 2024
- Floodwater entered the homes of more than 2,200 Lutheran families
- Sixteen Lutheran churches were damaged
- The church’s publishing house lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock
Floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state damaged 16 Lutheran churches and invaded the homes of more than 2,200 Lutheran families, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Reporter said on August 29, 2024, in a report by Erik Lunsford.
The floods killed 181 people, with about 60 still unaccounted for, and displaced about 580,000 people. Eight Lutherans died. The publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock. Rio Grande do Sul has Brazil’s largest Lutheran population.
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Porto Alegre was holding services three months after the flooding, and Christ Congregation in Três Coroas was also affected. The IELB had held disaster response training at its seminary about a week before the floods. “You see in the Divine Service … yesterday how many visitors [there were]. This is new to the church,” said Rev Airton Schroeder, IELB vice-president.
The floods hit church buildings and members’ homes at the same time.
Jamaica’s churches know this double burden from hurricanes and floods. When a disaster damages both the church and members’ homes, repair money is stretched in every direction. Flood-proofing church buildings, keeping insurance current and training teams in disaster response before the rainy season help churches recover faster and support their communities while they rebuild.
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