Zion LERT (Lutheran Emergency Response Team) Ministry
The LERT ministry program was established by (LCMS) Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in
2006 post the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans, LA. Several Zion members began
actively engaging with the ministry in 2022 and were involved with everything from:
– Residence damage cleanup from a tornado in Defiance
– Church “muck out” due to flooding in downtown St. Louis
– Subdivision drywall replacement in O’Fallon due to flooding
– Chainsaw work to remove overgrowth from family farm in South County
– Providing temporary housing for out of state LERT teams who traveled here to support efforts
A primary focus for the Zion LERT Ministry is to develop a pool of qualified members to
remain local and assist those in our community who are facing hardship due to disasters
that were out of their control. A secondary focus is more national and requires overnight
travel to gain access to sites where activity is needed (i.e. Fort Meyers, FL due to Hurricane
Ian). Our role is to come in after the rescue effort is complete and it is time for rebuilding
and recovery.
LERT activities can include everything from muck out (building debris removal), drywall
replacement, removal of damaged trees, roof repair, etc. We will often team up with other
local churches to work on assigned activities and provide relief to those in our community
who have been harmed by a disaster.
The LERT Ministry provides LCMS instructor training for everything from Basic First Level
(required for everyone) to proper Chainsaw Techniques and more.
The LERT Basic Training introduces:
– How we approach a distressed community
– The type of equipment we use
– How to communicate with someone recently facing a disaster
– And much more
For anyone interested in participating with the Zion Ministry effort, contact:
Bill Feld – Cell 336-467-1484 or Email wmfeld@outlook.com