ALPHARETTA, Ga. – After five years serving as president of Send Relief, Bryant Wright is set to retire at the end of March. “I am so thankful for the opportunity to steward Send Relief as we sought to extend the ministry’s reach these last several years, going from a national compassion ministry to an international one,” Wright said. “I feel my calling with Send Relief at this stage of my life has been to help the ministry to get up and running. Thankfully God has allowed that to … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ramps up response to Hurricane Beryl in Texas, continues efforts in Iowa, New Mexico
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes additional reporting from Missouri Disaster Relief about their work in Iowa. HOUSTON (BP) – Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) units have deployed in and around Houston up into Texarkana in response to Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall early Monday morning, July 8. Units with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), Texans on Mission, Arkansas and Alabama are providing meals, showers and chainsaw work to survivors. As of Wednesday … [Read more...]
Crossover 2024: Southern Baptists partner to take Gospel to Indianapolis during annual evangelistic outreach
INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – About 51 percent of Hoosiers, inhabitants of Indiana, say they seldom or never attend church or religious services, according to a recent report by Axios Indianapolis. One local pastor is praying that Crossover will help to turn those numbers around. “We are hoping that Crossover is a spark that will light that fuel of revival and evangelism here in our community, help us build up some of our churches,” said Roger Kinion, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in … [Read more...]
Send Relief helps victims of Hamas terror attack in Israel
TEL AVIV, Israel (BP) – War has come to the Holy Land. Following a brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on Saturday, Oct. 7, that killed and injured thousands of people, Israel officially declared war against the militant group. With the conflict expected to rage for some time to come, Send Relief is working with partners in Israel and the region to quickly respond to needs of people reeling from the effects of war and displacement. Send Relief is working with Baptist Village, a … [Read more...]
NAMB’s Annie Offering exceeds $70 million, new giving milestone
DENVER (BP) – North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell announced recently that in 2023 Southern Baptists gave an all-time record $70.2 million to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) for North American missions. Ezell shared the news during the annual fall meeting of NAMB’s board of trustees in Denver. For six of the last seven years, Southern Baptists have set records in their giving to the Annie offering.“I am grateful for how Southern Baptists love their … [Read more...]
NAMB celebrates planters, chaplains, Send Relief in presentation to SBC messengers
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – The North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) report and presentation began with messengers and guests at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting rising to give a standing ovation to police chaplain Andrew Ivey, who was a police chaplain on duty during the tragic March 27 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tenn. “Even in the midst of pain and loss and hurt and uncertainty, we saw God’s presence there with us. We had myself and our other chaplains who were constantly praying,” Ivey … [Read more...]
Serve Tour, Crossover brings gospel hope, tangible help to the Big Easy
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Southern Baptist seminary students walked the streets, presenting the hope of the Gospel. Churches hosted block parties for their neighbors. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) held an appreciation event for local law enforcement. These events barely scratch the surface of all that took place during the Serve Tour + Crossover outreach events for New Orleans and the surrounding areas. In an interview, New Orleans Police Chief Michelle Woodfork said the … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists set to recognize Global Hunger Sunday Aug. 28
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The last few years have witnessed world-changing events that have disrupted supply chains and limited access to food for many people. Southern Baptists will, on Aug. 28, recognize Global Hunger Sunday to raise support for those in need. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen world events impact food supplies. First, it was the COVID pandemic, then the war in Ukraine hindered access to their wheat harvest,” said Bryant Wright, president of Send Relief. “A drought in … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists responding to ‘overwhelming’ Kentucky floods
WHITESBURG, Ky. (BP) — As surveyors continue assessing the damage done by the historic flooding that has deluged eastern Kentucky, Southern Baptists have begun planning their response. Dozens of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) volunteers from across the Southeast have started arriving, and Send Relief, the compassion ministry of Southern Baptists, has provided resources for meals and flood relief supplies to help with the recovery. “The destruction is absolutely catastrophic … [Read more...]
Send Relief establishes fund to support survivors of sexual abuse
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Following the recent report that addressed how Southern Baptists have handled sexual abuse allegations in the past, Send Relief is seeking to be a part of the solution by establishing a survivor care fund. Send Relief, the compassion ministry arm of the Southern Baptist Convention of churches, committed $3 million in funding to the SBC’s Executive Committee ahead of the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting to be put toward the cost of implementing recommendations approved by … [Read more...]
As global tensions rise, SBC military chaplains prepare
UKRAINE (BP) – A continued increase in recent weeks of Russian troops on its border with Ukraine has mirrored the escalation of tensions in the area. In such times when the world’s geopolitical temperature rises, military chaplains begin making mental, spiritual and strategic preparations in case of conflict. “When chaplains put on the uniform, they must always consider the sober reality, like all military members, that their lives could quickly transition to a wartime footing,” said … [Read more...]
Missouri DR among Southern Baptists bringing help, hope in the wake of Hurricane Ida
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Sixteen years to the day after Katrina’s historic landfall, Hurricane Ida arrived in Port Fourchon, La., around noon on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) teams will start assessing damage and preparing their response on Aug. 30. Joining other Southern Baptists from across the nation, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) has deployed teams to bring help and hope to survivors of Hurricane Ida. Missouri DR has been asked to lead … [Read more...]