Navigation Back Search
Search

Disaster coordinator recalls Katrina

By Lilla Marigza
Aug. 1, 2025 | Bay St. Louis, Miss. (UM News)

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard worked as a disaster relief coordinator following Hurricane Katrina. She also directed UMCOR’s response from Gulfside Assembly. She talks about how the tragedy touched the hearts of both survivors and volunteers. Video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

E. Dwight Franklin helps with the gutting of his parents’ home in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. Virginia Tech student Ivy Gorman (background) was part of a team from her school working through the Louisiana United Methodist Storm Recovery Center during their spring vacation. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard was the pastor of Pass Christian First United Methodist Church in Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. Hilliard and her husband had two small children at the time and their parsonage was destroyed.

Despite these challenges, Hilliard stepped up to become the United Methodist disaster response coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. She also directed the construction of the volunteer center at Gulfside Assembly, which was vital to recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. She reflects on how the storm touched the hearts of survivors and volunteers.

Marigza is a multimedia producer for UM News. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.

Related Tags

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Faith Stories
The Rev. Andrea Byer Thomas makes therapeutic soaps and creams to soothe skin allergies. Photos courtesy of Handmade Luxuries.

A ministry of healing
Faith, resilience and self-care come together in United Methodist pastor’s unique ministry, which includes a vegan skincare line.
Congregations
Laura Wenger and James Poland share a laugh at the start of a Dungeons & Dragons game on July 19 in the youth room of Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Several game players have joined the church after being attracted by the weekly role-playing games held Sunday after worship services. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Embracing role-playing games at church
Once a scourge to conservative Christians, Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games are now sometimes hosted at United Methodist churches, where players say the games can reinforce things they learn in church.
Congregations
Mark Lynes shares a message of love while holding a sign through the open sunroof of a vehicle in the Nashville (Tenn.) Pride Parade. Lynes is a member of Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, which has seen membership growth due to its inclusivity efforts.

Inclusivity brings church back from the brink
In 2017, Glendale United Methodist Church didn’t look like it was going to survive long. But committed lay people, a dedicated pastor and radical inclusiveness turned things around.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2026 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved