Lutheran Disaster Response in the Carolinas
What is LDR Carolinas?
Lutheran Disaster Response shares God’s hope, healing and renewal with people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world.
The ministry of LDR Carolinas has been funded by a grant from Lutheran Disaster Response to provide local faces and voices for this vital ministry. Grounded in faith, we are focused on helping individuals and congregations prepare for disaster and on building a network of resources across North and South Carolina to respond when disasters occur. We are reminded many places in scripture that we can trust in God in any situation:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Psalm 46:1-3
Ways to Be Involved
Join the LDR Carolinas Network to receive email updates and join online meetings including information about upcoming events and ongoing responses to recent disasters.
Invite us to your congregation to teach about personal preparedness and help your congregation develop a preparedness plan to protect your facility and consider ways your congregation can serve your community when a disaster occurs.
Attend a Congregational Preparedness Event held in your area with a team from your congregation to begin to develop a congregational preparedness plan.
Organize a service trip to help with domestic disaster recovery here in the Carolinas or beyond. Ask us about possible financial assistance for your trip!
Getting People Home: Bridging Together.
This is not a new partnership. In early 2024, MDS learned of the need for a private bridge serving a neighborhood of over twenty families in Lincoln County, NC. Their engineer began planning for a bridge which would be a permanent solution for the neighborhood and provide access not just for personal vehicles, but also for the full tanker trunk of the local fire department. Partners including LDR provided financial support for this project.
There are estimated to be over 5,000 of these private bridges that need to be replaced because of Helene. We are inviting you to be part of this project by donating financially or volunteering your time. Please help us get these families home!
Supporting this Ministry
Your support will help expand and continue disaster preparedness and response ministry in these ways:
To support this ongoing ministry of preparedness in the North and South Carolina Synods, give to LDR Carolinas. This ministry has been given a grant from Lutheran Disaster Response to begin this important work. You can help make it ongoing. Send your donation to:
LDR Carolinas, 1988 Lutheran Synod Drive, Salisbury NC 28144
To provide aid to congregations in need in your synod and beyond following a disaster, give to the Disaster Fund of either North or South Carolina.
North Carolina Synod
1988 Lutheran Synod Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
nclutheran.org
South Carolina Synod
1003 Richland Street
Columnia, SC 29201
scsynod.com
To help those in need following a disaster, nationally or globally, give directly to Lutheran Disaster Response, either through a one-time gift or ongoing monthly giving. Send donations to:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA
Gift Processing Center
P.O. Box 1809
Merrifield, VA 22116-8009
Pastor Ruth Ann Sipe
Pastor Ruth Ann Sipe has worked as a construction estimator, project manager, and manufacturing customer service manager. She was active in the NC Synodical Women’s Organization, serving on the NC SWO Board and as a delegate to two Triennial Gatherings. She graduated from Montreat College with a B.B.A. in 1998, and from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) with an M. Div. in 2008. She also received a Spiritual Direction Certification from LTSS in 2022. She has served the NC Synod congregations of Becks, Lexington; Mt. Zion, Richfield; and St. Stephen’s, Gold Hill. She has served on the NC Synod stewardship team and the planning team for the Lutheran and Moravian Women in Ministry retreat. She spends her spare time knitting or crocheting.
Pastor Ray Sipe
Pastor Ray Sipe has worked as a hardware and software engineer, customer service manager, and in international sales. He is a life member of NC Lutheran Men in Mission. He graduated from Illinois Central College with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology in 1983, and from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary with an M. Div. in 2008. He has served the NC Synod congregations of Becks, Lexington; Prince of Peace, Salisbury; Mt. Gilead, Mt. Pleasant; and St. Martin, Concord. He has also served as Chaplain for Trinity Place in Albemarle.He has served on the synod’s team for specialized ministry and as president of the Stanly County Ministerial Network. He also has served as president of the Stanly County Amateur Radio Club.
Pastor Emily Lemoine
Pastor Emily Lemoine was raised in Kings Mountain, NC, earned her BA in Communications from UNC, prior to entering Wake Forest University School of Divinity, where she earned her Master’s of Divinity. She has served several churches in North Carolina and is currently the part time interim at St. Martin in Concord. She resides with her husband Sam, two dogs and a cat (who really rules the house), in Concord.
