'America's darkest hour'

Redeemer Presbyterian church on Manhattan Island, New York, has a congregation of around 4,000 people. Their meeting place, Hunter College off Lexton Avenue, is within a mile of where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to stand.

A significant number of people who attend the church work in the financial district of Manhattan where the WTC was located. Soon after the dreadful attack, EN was able to contact Tim Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer.

Tim was at home in his apartment about four miles from the towers when the terrorists struck. He said: 'I was at home because our 17-year-old son had broken his leg and was slated for surgery at a local hospital that day. Needless to say, the surgery was cancelled. Strangely I did not hear anything, though I was close enough to have heard it. I inadvertently turned on the TV just after the first airplane hit the first tower. It was beyond belief really. We are overwhelmed by what has happened.'

Exactly how many people from the church were caught up in the disaster is as yet difficult to confirm. One factor is that around 80% of the 4,000 regular attenders at Redeemer are single. Most of these do not have family in the city, so in many cases there would be no one at home to register that someone is 'missing.' Pastor Keller said: 'A high percentage of our people are "seeking" or are new to Christian faith, and I'm not even sure their parents would know if they attend our church to let us know.'

Remarkable stories

However, striking stories of what happened on America's darkest day are already coming to light. Tim Keller said: 'What is a bit remarkable, though we are not absolutely sure yet, is that within the circle of our 400 leaders (staff, small group leaders and so on) there doesn't seem to be anyone killed. We have already heard quite a number of remarkable "escape" stories. One of our members who worked in Tower 1 was getting to work late and as a result was walking to the building as the disaster struck. He escaped by running with many others into the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, where there is an emergency side tunnel with good air ducts. Another one of our leaders had worked at the World Trade Center until the previous Friday. A woman member who worked in the Center overslept inexplicably and was rushing to work when she heard what had happened. Another Christian woman we know was actually on the 90th floor early, but at 8.30 am she decided to leave the building to go to a favourite coffee shop. That saved her life. One of our staff pastors and his wife live just next to the World Trade Center and were evacuated by tugboat on the river.'

But obviously the happy escape stories are coming out because the people are alive. Tim Keller said: 'We wait for the bad news to come.'

Weeping on the subway

Though a good spirit prevails, the New York community has been badly shaken. Because of the continued threat of terrorism, in the days immediately after the attack no one was allowed to drive into Manhattan without being stopped, questioned and searched. It was not possible for ordinary people to get involved in helping with the clear-up operation. But Redeemer church hopes to get some pastors and counsellors down into the rescue area to help as soon as it is appropriate.

Tim Keller explained, 'New Yorkers are dazed and "rubbed raw" in a way that even long-time residents have never seen. I saw people just weeping on the subway trains. I've had people on the street just ask me, "have you lost any loved ones?" A hospital nurse I met told me that she and the other nurses just go out and drink all evening after work. No one wants to go home. "It's not that I'm afraid of being here"' she said, "it's just that I can't stand being alone with my thoughts".'

Others are reported to be frightened however, and are talking about leaving the city. 'I believe that there will be many long-term, unpredictable effects on the mindset and culture of New York', Keller commented. 'There is going to be a tremendous amount of spiritual questioning. There may even be much more openness to the gospel.'

Diaconal ministries

Redeemer does not own a building. It has offices on four floors of a Madison Avenue office block. During the week they rent space in Hunter College and in three other church buildings for their services training and other meetings. 'Our office has been filled with people coming to pray', said pastor Keller. 'Many people are sending donations to our diaconal fund', he explained. 'The deacons and deaconesses number about 35 and we have two full-time professionally trained social workers who work for the diaconate. They simply meet emergency needs for housing, funds, counselling and a myriad of other problems. The practical needs of the people in New York City will be on-going over the coming weeks and months. This will almost have to have a bad impact on the economy, for example, and that will bring more people into need.'

Tim Keller is well known in this country and spoke at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly in London last year. Redeemer Presbyterian is a PCA church plant which was started around 1990 by Tim and his wife Kathy. The church has grown phenomenally and has begun to plant churches in other parts of New York city.

JEB & Simon Percy

© Evangelicals Now - October 2001
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