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Other religious groups, too, have had information trickle in. Episcopal Bishop Duncan M. Gray reported in a statement to his diocese that it appears that six Episcopal churches were completely destroyed in the Diocese of Mississippi while many others were seriously damaged. The Presbyterian News Service reported that Katrina had damaged more than half of the churches affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) in south Louisiana and destroyed six in Mississippi.

As of Tuesday, Luter had made contact with a slim percentage of his members. "I guess out of 8,000 members that we have, I've been able to contact … less than 100 of them," he said.

But while he was in Dallas, he found some of them at the convention center and Reunion Arena, where some New Orleans residents had been evacuated. "You don't know who's alive," he said. "You don't know who's dead. Every time you see someone that's alive, it's just rewarding."

He hoped to make more contacts online, but that, too, has been a challenge. "We're trying to set something up on our website," he said. "I'm still trying to locate the guy from the church who's been (in charge of) our website."

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A Church in Diaspora | A New Orleans pastor takes care of his scattered flock from Houston.

Parable of the Good Church | Neither the fury of Katrina nor inefficiencies of government can stop the people of God.

More recent coverage of Hurricane Katrina includes:

Amid the Evacuees | How churches in Houston, among other cities, began picking up the pieces. (Sept. 8, 2005)

I Was a Stranger | Ministry in the Astrodome and beyond. (Sept. 8, 2005)

The Sunday After | What Gulf churches were doing on the first Lord's Day after Katrina. (Sept. 8, 2005)

Hurricane Weblog: In Every Thing Give Thanks | Even in tragedy, there is hope in Jesus. (Sept. 06, 2005)

Hurricane Weblog: Where Is God in the Chaos? | The theodicy questions change as human depravity rears its ugly head in New Orleans. (Sept 02, 2005)

Houston's Religious Communities Scramble to Help Evacuees | "We're in this thing for the long haul" without government money, church leaders warn. (Sept 02, 2005)

Hurricane Weblog: Little Relief in Sight | Food, water, supplies still making its way to hurricane victims. (Sept 01, 2005)

Hurricane Weblog: Katrina Relief Under Way | Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco declares Wednesday a day of prayer. (Aug. 31, 2005)

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September (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49