“Between 1967 and 1991, disasters around the world killed 7 million people and affected 3 billion.” [NSW Disaster Mental Health Response Handbook, quoted in footnote 1, p. xi]

I had never really given much thought to what I would do as a minister if confronted by a disaster situation (I never really considered that there was much chance I would have to), but in a fallen world disasters are like lightning strikes; perhaps unlikely in any one place, but certain to hit somewhere.

Stephen Robinson has combined interviews with 15 people who had experienced ministry in disaster situations (four of whom are the case studies with which the book begins) with his research into the area of disasters to write his book, Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge.

I turned to the book expecting something of a "how to" book - how to get involved, what to say to people, how to relate to victims and relatives etc " instead, the book is focussed on the cost to the ministers who get involved in ministry in a disaster setting (perhaps the book could have been better entitled Ministers in Disaster Settings).

As Robinson states;

“In writing this book it is my hope that a clearer understanding of ministry practiced in traumatic circumstances will minimise the price paid by those who minister and those who care for them.” [p. xiii]

To this end, the book does a good job of highlighting the cost of doing ministry "on the edge".
However, I felt that the book would have benefited from a clearer explanation or definition of what was actually meant by "ministry". How, for instance, in Robinson's understanding does "ministry" differ from "social work"? I don't doubt that it does, but the lack of detail left me unsure of exactly how.

The book is divided into four sections; (i) four case studies, (ii) a summary of research into the effects of disasters on "ministry agents", (iii) Biblical material, and (iv) practical suggestions. Within this format I struggled at times to perceive the logic of how the material was arranged, and how the overarching argument informed the structure of the book. This made the book difficult to work through in areas.

Despite this, four things particularly struck me from reading this book.

First, that people involved in ministering to people in a crisis setting will themselves experience some level of trauma. This will need to be taken into account by the ministers themselves (being self aware), and also by those involved with the ministers (such as family, the local congregation and church authorities) making sure that the ministers are themselves adequately ministered to.

Second, the process of suffering with people as we minister to them in their darkest hour, may open up further opportunities to minister " to the victims and their families, to other disaster workers, to the wider community. The shared experience can foster a stronger sense of community, where people perceive and value a clear place for the work of the minister in that community. One of the regrets that came out in the opening case studies was from ministers who moved on from their position too quickly following a disaster - the new incumbents lacked the relationships and the shared experience, and in some cases may even have been viewed as an outsider or intruder. 

Third, there is great value in the preparation and training of a pre-established team for going into these situations. The difficulty with this will always be seeing (whether rightly or wrongly) the value of the time, money and effort that would need to go into such preparations, for something that may never come about. Though, as Robinson asks, at what price do we value the ongoing ministry of those who do find themselves in such situations?

Fourth, something Robinson wrote to describe the tension that ministers often find themselves facing, prompted me to reflect on my own experience of church. He noted;

"People usually choose to join a church where they feel comfortable, thus the nature of church life is largely predictable and as far from the edge as possible" In contrast, disasters are the embodiment of extreme dysfunction and unpredictability. Nothing is further from that of the known and controlled ideal of many a safe church" This can leave ministers straddling two worlds" [p.53]

The comment rang true to what is often my experience of church, but should I be happy with church being simply a community of comfort? Isn't there something in the gospel that might suggest that church should also be a community of discomfort; as we are challenged by the Lordship of Christ to lay aside all the sin that so easily entangles, challenged to be willing to lay aside the comforts of this life to serve him, challenged to take up our cross and follow him, challenged to sacrificially love others. Instead of being on one side of the divide, shouldn't the church community be a bridge between the worlds of normality and disaster?
I may need to rethink my attitude to church.

The Extract

Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge contains case studies on disasters including the Granville train disaster and the Port Arthur massacre as well as chapters on the nature of the ministry in disaster settings; biblical and theological reflections on ministry in crisis times; lessons for "ministry on the edge' and lessons for the pastor's carers.

Background & Rationale

Ministry during a time of Disaster or major trauma can, and often does, take a lasting toll on ministry agents. For the minister, dysfunction as a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related issues may affect not only his or her congregation, but the minister's relationships, family life and, potentially, a series of congregations throughout the working life of an affected ministry agent.

This is an issue of duty of care for the church itself. If ministry agents are to be exposed to ministry in traumatic circumstances (even in situations beyond the church's control) every effort must be made by their church body to ensure their well-being during and after such events.

The Port Arthur Massacre

On Sunday, April 28, 1996, the peaceful setting of Port Arthur was broken by the sound of gunfire when Martin Bryant went on a shooting rampage. Beginning in the Broad Arrow Café he shot and killed thirty-five people in cars, buses, and in the grounds of the site. More than 2,000 people, including 690 emergency staff received critical incident stress counselling. Of the 22 injured (including Bryant), 16 were admitted to hospital.

The Experience of Glenn Cumbers

Glenn Cumbers had been ordained six weeks earlier as a minister working in a small town beside the historic Port Arthur settlement. He recalls walking with his wife on the
Saturday before the shooting remarking how lucky they were to be in such a place for their first ministry together. He said: “It must be the safest place on earth.”

The couple went regularly for lunch following the church service across the road at Nubeena, or at the Broad Arrow Café at the Port Arthur site. On April 28 they, instead, went to the home of a couple from their church for lunch. As soon as they began eating lunch they began hearing muffled noises. Later they recognised them as gunshots from inside the Broad Arrow café where Martin Bryant had commenced shooting.

Glenn’s host telephoned the tollgates to see what was happening, and was horrified when the woman who answered screamed that someone was shooting people. Glenn and his host jumped into a car and drove to the entrance. They just missed the gunman as he came from the tollgates.

Glenn recounts a ghastly scene. Bryant had headshot his victims with a high-powered rifle in a small space, and the results were horrendous. Brains, blood, and skull fragments were mixed with plates of half eaten food.

Glenn was back at work the next day, and he organised contact with some who had lost their loved ones. This gruelling task continued into the week. He had another grim task some days later when he stood beside a local fire brigade member who hosed the blood from the ground around the bus and car park. Glenn recounts: “That was a job no one should have to do alone.” This is one example of a ministry that continued with many victims, despite the fact that Glenn was, himself, a victim and deeply traumatised.

If the trauma of the shooting was not enough for Glenn, what followed made it much
more difficult:

The hard part was with the church. They wanted me to resume my role as a normal minister: visit the old folk in the nursing home and do the church newsletter. When I said we were going to open up the church to everyone twenty-four hours and pray, they were really against it, so conflict started fairly quickly.

In this and other ways, Glenn found himself at odds with the church leadership. Within five months of the shooting it became clear that he could no longer work in the situation. The attitude of the leaders of his congregation was that: “He (Glenn) was sick from Port Arthur and no longer any use to them” and their request to the denominational body was for them to “get us a new minister” to take his place. When Glenn called the denominational leadership at the time, there was no help offered.

Glenn resigned from ministry in 2004. He has spent nine years getting up at night, checking doors and windows, retreating from conflict in meetings and, for most of that time, never knowing what was happening to him. “I found out that you can only give out so much. I found that I have been running on empty for years.” He speaks of a hope for something better from his life. “I do want to be whole again, but I keep on going back to that place . . . alone inside the tollbooth.”

This is an edited extract from pages 21 to 32 and 205 of Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge by Rev Dr Stephen Robinson.

The book can be purchased from Rev Dr Stephen Robinson for $25, plus $5 package and postage:  PO Box 69, Lugarno, NSW 2210; Phone or Fax: +61-2-9153 8653; or via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).