Sad news from UMCOR

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is now reporting that two mission leaders at the agency have died as a result of injuries sustained in the Haiti earthquake.

Early reports that Sam Dixon and Clint Rabb had been rescued and were safe were apparently premature. Both men were removed from the rubble of the Hotel Montana. But follow-up reports indicate that UMCOR head Sam Dixon had passed away before he could be pulled out of the collapsed hotel. And while Clint Rabb was successfully rescued and airlifted to Miami, he died from injuries sustained in the earthquake in a hospital there.

The UMCOR website has posted stories about the lives and ministries of both men. You can find the story on Sam Dixon here. The story on Clint Rabb is at this link.

The devastation in Haiti has been disheartening to watch on television and the Internet. Receiving word that two Methodist pastors have been killed brings the sense of loss home in a certain way. But the deaths of Dixon and Rabb should also serve as witnesses to the gospel. Both men gave their lives in service to Jesus Christ, and because of that their ministry will continue to echo throughout the Church as signs of the coming kingdom.

Additional links:
-- Online site to donate to UMCOR relief efforts in Haiti

-- NY Times story in the role of faith in sustaining Haitian earthquake survivors

-- Recent update by the NY Times on continuing rescue and relief efforts