Local churches help sister congregation after floods

On Labor Day weekend, volunteers from First United Methodist Church in Covington and Hartzell Mt. Zion UMC in Slidell worked alongside their sister church, Mt. Zion UMC in Clinton, to gut and clean the flooded church.
 
Mt. Zion’s sanctuary and Fellowship Hall were hard hit by August floods that devastated South Louisiana. Volunteers moved damaged pews to get to the sanctuary carpet, which was soaked. “Lots of electronic equipment was exposed to flooding. It is unknown if that equipment will function or need to be replaced,” wrote Sue Crise with First UMC. The Rev. Jerry Crise is pastor of the church.


 
The exterior walls of Mt. Zion are built of cement blocks, so several of the teens volunteering with the group wiped down the walls with bleach.
  
Interior sheet rock was removed in both buildings. Once the carpet was removed in the Fellowship Hall, the wooden floors were sprayed with bleach.
 
The Rev. Yvonne Dayries, pastor, and members at Mt. Zion hosted a “wonderful” lunch for the tired and hungry volunteers. “Lots of willing hands and joyful hearts worked together,” said the Rev. Deborah Williams, pastor of Hartzell Mt. Zion UMC, whose congregation raised $2,550 for the Clinton church to help with recovery.