With National Guard troops patrolling the banks of North Dakota’s Red River and the river at more than 20 feet above flood stage, a Southern Seminary alum ministering in the area has asked for prayer from the seminary community.
John Fisher, a 2008 master of divinity graduate from the Billy Graham School, is a church planter in the Fargo, N.D., metro area, a city that is braced for significant flooding. Fisher sent the following correspondence to Southern Friday morning to ask for prayer:
‘Dear SBTS family, I am a church planter and we are in the middle of a historic flood,’ he wrote. ‘My wife and my daughter are safe in another city until all this passes but I am staying back to meet the spiritual needs of those in the area. The river is supposed to crest at 41-43 feet, which is almost 25 feet above flood stage. It’s getting really hairy really quickly and any support and prayers would be greatly appreciated.’
Overnight, the Red River climbed to 40.82 feet, eclipsing the previous record of 40.1 feet set in April 1897, according to an article at Bloomberg.com. Two people have died of heart attacks due to over exerting themselves working to prevent the flood and 61 people have been injured or made ill, according to a North Dakota Department of Emergency Services statement.
Here are a several audio and video links about the story. Be in prayer for Fisher and other people ministering amid the flooding:
Audio
* Local Red Cross to Help in North Dakota Flood
* Sandbags won’t save your life
* Obama Says U.S. ‘Must Respond’ to Flood Potential in Midwest (WashingtonPost.com).
Video