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Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains on the Ground in Tornado-Stricken Pilger, Nebraska

Chaplains Deploying to Address the Emotional and Spiritual Needs in the Community Following Deadly Storm

Contact: Erik Ogren, 704-401-2117, eogren@bgea.org 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 19, 2014 /Standard Newswire/ -- Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are in Pilger, Neb., to assist the people and churches of the community in the aftermath of Monday's deadly storm. The small town of less than 400 was nearly demolished when twin tornadoes ripped through the area, destroying the business district and dozens of homes.

"The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains are there to serve the community in whatever ways they can," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "Our goal is to support the local churches in ministering to their community, and to help meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the people of Pilger as they begin to put the pieces back together following this terrible storm."

The organization has responded in coordination with Samaritan's Purse, a Christian disaster relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, who is also president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"Tornadoes are terrifying acts of nature that are hard to see coming. They are immediate and brutal, holding the power to tear apart everything one holds dear in a matter of moments," continued Munday. "Please keep all of those affected by the tornadoes in your prayers, and especially the families of the two people who have died as a result of this tragedy."

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has deployed to more than 45 tornado disasters since its inception, including the deadly twisters in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo., during the historic storm season of 2011. The organization just wrapped up deployments to Louisville, Miss; Baxter Springs, Kan.; Athens, Ala.; and Mayflower and Vilonia, Ark., following a rash of tornadoes that hit in late April.

For more information on the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/BGRapidResponseTeam.

About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into a nationwide network of chaplains in 48 states who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 175 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.