[StBernard] Healing ministry comes to St. Bernard Parish Command Center

[Westley Annis]

Healing ministry comes to St. Bernard Parish Command Center

Five local churches took part in what they called a "healing ministry" today
at the St. Bernard Parish Command Center in Hopedale. Pastors Derek Buchert
of The Assembly Of God Church, John Jeffries from First Baptist Church of
Chalmette, Jimmy Jeffries from The Refuge Church, Keith Stone from Healing
Place Ministries and Craig Ratliff from Celebration Church of St. Bernard
visited oil response operations to show their support in this time of
crisis. The pastors took a boat ride in Lake Borgne to bless the waters and
partake in communion and prayer.

The pastors said they met with President Craig P. Taffaro Jr., a few weeks
ago who welcomed their offer to give the blessing. 

"We did this as a divine intervention of faith," Pastor Jeffries said.

Three boats launched from Breton Sound Marina with communion and salt. They
poured the salt over the water citing the following Scripture passage: "Then
He went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, 'This is what
the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or
make the land unproductive.' And the water has remained wholesome to this
day..." 

Those present took Communion and the leftover Communion was spread on the
water as a blessing, followed by a prayer from each pastor.

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro Jr. thanked the pastors for their
support and prayers. "We're grateful for the ecumenical support and
recognize the importance of divine assistance through this crisis," Taffaro
said.

Future prayer services and Sunday church services at the Command Center will
be made available to those who are interested in the near future. 

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