by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service As longtime ministry colleagues in the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina, the Rev. Dr. Lori Archer Raible and the Rev. Dr. Amantha Barbee have maintained a close friendship through the years, united in their love of neighbor and their shared passion for justice.
Both of which propelled them into immediate action this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“If we have a relationship with the pastor in the affected area and they let us know exactly what they need, we deliver on those immediate needs,” explained Raible, who serves as pastor/head of staff at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. “In this case, our church responded to a request from [the Rev. Dr.] Allan Purtill at Tryon (North Carolina) Presbyterian Church. We’re going out again [Thursday] to First Presbyterian Church of Spruce Pine (North Carolina), where they are really struggling. We know that any action we’re taking this week is triage in the hope that larger efforts will kick in by the end of the week.”…