Taken from: Christian examiner

Churches mobilize new network to minister at Ground Zero


by Lori Arnold



October, 2001

NEW YORK CITY — As the symbol of America’s prosperity unraveled under the force of hatred run amuck on Sept. 11, thousands of tons of debris rained down on lower Manhattan, caking entire blocks with dust, ashes and treasured paperwork.

When it was over, dozens of shoestring churches and ministries, operated by the blood, sweat and tears of its knuckle-worn leadership and volunteers, were faced with helping some of the nation’s most advanced companies deal with the sorrow, loss and the overwhelming task of building anew.

"They have struggled so long just paying the rent," Jeremy Del Rio, with Abiding Grace Ministries, said of many of the small churches operating in the magnetic field of the world-famous twin towers. "They are lucky if they have a full-time pastor."

Most do not have the benefit of technology. No computers. No system network. No phone banks. Those who have Internet access, switch their dial-up modems between computers and a fax line. Once primitive by Wall Street standards, it’s now state of the art compared to the rubble of what was once the World Trade Center.

"We have to create that [network] system, particularly if this is going to be long-term," said 26-year-old Del Rio, son of Abiding’s founder the Rev. Richard Del Rio.

The system being created is the Ground Zero Clergy Task Force. The effort was announced in the days after the terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C. and on a hijacked airliner in the skies over Pennsylvania.

"We are basically one and the same in terms of the relief work," said the younger Del Rio, who is spearheading the effort from New York’s East Village. Among the first joint tasks was a prayer vigil in downtown Manhattan, which drew up to 3,000 people from 40 or so different churches.

While the son is orchestrating the effort there, the father is counseling at various sites throughout the city, just as he did two hours after the commercial jets crashed into the towers. Using his motorcycle, police chaplain I.D. and a clerical collar to identify him to the masses, the elder Del Rio arrived at the scene just after the first tower was reduced to scrap. After the second tower lost its battle with gravity, the evangelical pastor began helping volunteers pull emergency crews from the rubble.

"I was captivated, like most of America, watching the icon of my town tumbling on the ground," said Jeremy Del Rio.

Despite the horror being played and replayed on television, the son was spared the heart-breaking visions of his collared-father, who was being petitioned to offer absolution for sins. Others brought him body parts, seeking last rites as offered in the Catholic tradition. For a time he felt isolated, the only clergyman within miles. Father Judge, a Roman Catholic chaplain assigned to the fire department, died minutes earlier while giving last rites to another victim. He was hit by debris catapulting from the sky.

Seeking more shepherds

After a local CBS affiliate saw the pastor working among the debris and interviewed him, Calvary’s cavalry emerged.

"Ground Zero was filled with clergymen and our phone has not stopped since," Jeremy Del Rio said.

"We’re coming together to coordinate relief efforts in the short-term and more importantly laying the groundwork for the long-term," he said. "The magnitude of this isn’t fully understood."

The task force is hoping to establish an ongoing network of volunteers and funding when the weeks after the attack turn into months.

"To be honest, there have been efforts for decades to bring together the body of Christ and all of its diversity," he said.

Although the congregations have rallied around specific events, a consistent coalition has been elusive.

"For whatever reason, they have mostly failed," he said. "But there have been little networks that have sprung up all over the city."

What also surfaced was the realization that many services were being duplicated, while other services have not been provided because of the lack of manpower. As an example, Del Rio said a large supply of Bibles and literature have been donated, but there’s been no mechanism to get them to the hearts that need them.

"These are all great tools, but there’s never been a distribution center for all of this so we can do this large scale," he said. "If we are able to do this right, it will duplicate across the United States."

In the coming months they hope to smooth out the process. Much-needed donations will be used to purchase computers to link the congregations with one another and to develop databases.

"So many people didn’t know what the others are doing," he said.

"If in fact we are going to get through this, it’s because the church unified and collaborated for the common good. It’s starting to come together now.

"That’s what we are trying to do as a task force, make sure there is a systematic way to respond to all those needs."

The father and son team hopes some of the skills they’ve developed since launching the non-denominational Abiding Grace as a street ministry in 1982 will help them organize the task force project. Ten years after launching the ministry, they formed a church, which now draws between 250 and 350 people. They’ve also started the Apple’s Core Coffeehouse, a Saturday night ministry to street people and the Night Spot Café, which targets teens and young adults. Generation X-Cel, also among their successes, is a youth-oriented outreach that, like its other ministries, uses a holistic approach to dealing with people. The church, the younger Del Rio said, is in the process of affiliating with the Assemblies of God denomination.

In the meantime, the focus remains on the hurting as the ripples are now well beyond what has now been dubbed Ground Hero.

"We’re dealing with 220 stories of building that’s created a lot of debris," Del Rio said. "It’s blocks away.

"I’m going day by day. I don’t even think it’s hit me yet. I’ve been so busy. The Trade Center was a normal part of our life for decades, but it doesn’t exist any more. The skyline is different. It’s a different city right now."

For more information about the Ground Zero Clergy Task Force or to contribute to the Ground Zero Relief Fund, write c/o Primitive Church, 207-209 E. Broadway, New York, NY 10002 or log on to the Web site at www.operationhope.ag.org.