Episcopal leader urges churches to prepare for bird flu
By Lawn Griffiths, Tribune Columnist
September 23, 2006

The bishop for Arizona’s Episcopalians has called on his churches to be prepared for an outbreak of bird flu. And should there never be an epidemic, they’d be better poised for other catastrophes — such as terrorism or severe storms.

In a newly released pastoral letter, Bishop Kirk Stevan Smith said he was convening a diocesan emergency preparedness committee of experts to help the Episcopal faith community respond to bird flu and other disasters. Parishes are urged to develop their own response plans, and parishioners to prepare their homes.

“We expect that should such a crisis arise, churches will be called upon to take the lead in serving the needs of our communities. That will require planning and organization,” Smith said.

the rest