September 17, 2001

Dear fellow elders.

We just received this note from Frank McCrady II regarding a United member (formerly with CGCF) who also escaped from the World Trade Center. It is great to hear any good news that comes out of this tragedy.

Matthew Fenchel

-------- Original Message --------

Dear Sir,

Thank you about your post regarding the Brooklyn member, Adrienne Johnson, who was able to escape the towers in the wake of the attack.

I was finally able to get to talk to a member of UCG (just transferred from cgcf) that was just a few floors below the strike on building 1. She works for Chase Manhattan Bank and was there for a board meeting on Tuesday morning. This lady is Daisi Swint from Westchester, N.Y., and a long time church member. She was also in the bombing of the Trade Towers in '93. This time she was among those who escaped the building also, but in route fell in the rubble and was knocked unconscious.......waking up in the central terminal with a nurse attending her. All these survivors need our prayers, because this is a horrific experience and most are in counseling to be able to adjust once again.

Thank you for keeping us posted.

We will keep all the brethren, as well as others, in that area in our prayers. We spent 5 years in the N.Y. City, Westchester and Long Island area and have so many friends there.

Respectfully,
The McCradys

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September 17, 2001

From Denny Luker, pastor, Seattle, WA:

I have been receiving many calls and e-mails from ministers and members about a message circulating on the internet which states that a UCG member in Seattle was killed on one of the planes that was crashed into the WTC by terrorists. The message gives her name as Allyson Owens and says her parents are Michael and Rachael Roosevelt-Kennedy who are also named as members of UCG in Seattle. There are no UCG members in Seattle with those names. No one from the UCG congregation in Seattle was killed in those plane crashes.

Another falsehood in this same message circulating on the Internet is that a Ryan Leighton is a ministerial trainee in Seattle. The message states that he recently finished training in Cincinnati and is now getting his hands-on training under me. This is totally false!

Passing this along will help cut down on the number of calls and e-mails I am receiving asking if it is true.

Thanks!

Denny

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September 12, 2001

This is from Carmelo Anastasi (pastor in Italy).

Dear Fellow Ministers,

We would be grateful if you could read this message to our brethren in the congregations under your care.

Dismay and horror for the barbaric attack that a terroristic organization has launched against the United States on September 11.

This brief message is to let you know that you are not alone. Your Italian brethren are praying for the innocent victims and their families and your entire nation.

Through the words of our President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and all the Press and national commentators, the entire nation of Italy is together in bereavement and sorrow, very close to the American people and nation, famous bulwark of freedom and human dignity and values.

When such values are attacked through horrible events like the ones that happened today in New York and Washington we realize more and more how dangerous are the times we live in. This makes us hope and pray for God's Kingdom to come soon to this troubled earth and bring peace and unity to a divided human kind.

How comforting it is our faith towards the fact that the Creator of all things will establish His kingdom on earth for sure.

Your Italian brethren wish to let you know that you are not alone. We are very, very close to you in these difficult days.

The events in New York and Washington D.C. have made September 11 a very trying day. Despite the horror, however, we do not have to lose heart in such difficult times. On the contrary.

One of our members paraphrased the following biblical words: "Even though we face the valley of the shadow of death, we need not be afraid. God is the source of our strength and our hope. He comforts us, protects us and provides for us."

Indeed America is still a great nation and, with God's help, can not stop functioning. And Europe and Italy, and NATO, are being very responsible in becoming one, supporting America as well as taking extraordinary security measures against future terroristic attacks.

Amid the sorrow, it impressed me in a very comforting way to see, through the CNN, that what was happening in the United States -- that is millions of US citizens watching the tragedy in shock and dismay -- was happening in all Europe also: millions of Europeans in tears (and anger) against the enemies of humanity.

One realistic consideration to be made is that the western world is now one same village and it can not stop without damaging its economy to death. The western world can not remain paralyzed for too many days.

So, even though we should never forget what happened, soon all transportation and distribution services will be functional again out of necessity. There will be more restrictive security measures, of course. But that will be for our good. Also, I think that it is very possible that the very influential Jewish community in the US and around the world would want to avoid US reprisals or war actions just before or during the Autumn holy days. Let us pray for this wisdom.

But most importantly, we have to remember, that God has promised that whatever trial He allows us to have, He will also provide the way so that we can bear it. We know that this has been promised to America in a special way. And what God promises He is able to perform.

Sincerely,

Carmelo Anastasi.

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September 11, 2001

Hello fellow ministers,

Kevin Epps called into the home office with some details of our local membership in the New York City area, following the World Trade Center act of terrorism.

First of all, here is a message from a young lady who works on the 37th floor of one of the Trade towers. She takes care of the local congregation bulletin, and their local church Web site. Here name is Adrienne Johnson:

"Hello brethren,

"For all those who may have inquired about my welfare during the World Trade Center bombing, God has once again pulled me to safety and saved me from disaster. I made it out of the building and safely to another [member] who worked not too far away from me. He and I made it safely back into Brooklyn where we both live. I am still shaken and traumatized by this latest attack as I was in the one the hit in 1993. I need your prayers during this time for a recovery from this incident. I did a lot of crying today and probably still more before the week is out. Please remember me in your respective church areas."

--Adrienne Johnson, United Church God - New York City Congregation

Kevin mentioned that many of the brethren, not to mention the community at large, will be in need of grief counseling. He will hold services in New York City this coming Sabbath, probably in a round-table discussion format.

Two others work near the World Trade Center building. One is the fellow who met Adrienne. The other made it out of the area safely.

Kevin's stepdaughter, Kristi, who works in Manhattan saw the second plane hit the building, and people on fire jumping from the building.

All United Church of God members are accounted for. Kevin's sister is still confined to a building in the general area, about 3 miles away, and not able to evacuate yet. Some other members, working in Brooklyn, are still trying to get home on public transportation which is very slow, and some railway sections near the World Trade Center are still prohibited from running.

While we are thankful that our church members are safe, we grieve for all who lost their lives in this act. If we have further updates, we'll let you know....

Peter Eddington