Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 04:1 (Spring 2007)
Article: State And Associational Missions Involvement In Natural Disasters
Author: Emil Turner

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JBTM 4:1 (Spring 2007) p. 86

State And Associational Missions Involvement
In Natural Disasters

Emil Turner

Executive Director
Arkansas Baptist State Convention

There was an atmosphere of revival among them. The music was louder, more enthusiastic, the preacher was more animated, and even the Sunday School director was excited about giving the Sunday School report. The church was a rural, “smaller membership” congregation with a bi-vocational pastor, but this Sunday there was a sense of significance that had not been there in a long time.

What was responsible for the excitement? Hurricane Katrina.

Their first mission trip served people who had been displaced by this terrible natural disaster. The impact was tremendous. They fed hungry people, encouraged people who had no hope, gave away possessions to those who had nothing, prayed with people, and led lost people to Christ. The small, rural, congregation had been the Body of Christ serving people in need.

At the second anniversary of Katrina’s arrival there have been reports and news articles that stress the impact of volunteers on the residents of New Orleans. And a few have reported on the impact that has been made on the churches and church members that volunteered. And that impact has been powerful.

But the untold story is the critically important involvement of associations and state conventions in the relief efforts. We can not expect the reporters for major newspapers to understand how Baptist organizations and entities facilitate the relief work. They can not tell our story. While some Baptist newspaper reporters do understand the involvement of foundational Baptist organizations in the relief efforts, they rarely report on this involvement. I am grateful for this opportunity to make a brief presentation of the involvement of state conventions and associations in touching lives at such a critical time.

I do not believe the ministry to Gulf Coast or to other areas ravaged by disasters would have been as effective without the involvement of local Baptist associations and the state conventions.

Southern Baptist disaster relief occurs every Sunday morning when church members give their tithes and offerings. The next step in the process is the vote of the church in its business meeting to give a percentage of those undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program, and associational budgets. A third step is taken when the church gives to its state missions offering. The state convention and the association are involved at the very outset in promoting and encouraging this giving. Though it takes place in the local church, different personnel in the state conventions and the Associational Missionary has made the case for s...

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