HOUSTON – People are eager to give to those in need after natural disasters like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, but donators are increasingly eyeing charities’ practices to ensure that their gift provides the biggest benefit for the dollar. On that note, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) thrives on donations directly to the ministry and through the Missouri Missions Offering (MMO). Of those funds, 100 percent goes to bringing help, hope and healing to those facing a disaster. No part of … [Read more...]
DR training continues as volunteers mobilize
HANNIBAL – Disaster Relief participants are taught to “be flexible.” The mantra was practiced in training September 8-9 at Calvary Baptist in Hannibal when there were ample reasons to cancel the training. To wit: The training fell between Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and between state disaster relief directors. Four regular session leaders were deployed or returning from Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas. A fifth was cross training in another facet of Disaster Relief. Acting state director … [Read more...]
Missouri volunteers gear up for Houston hurricane, MBC Exec. Yeats pleads for prayer
HOUSTON, Texas - Even as the Hurricane Harvey’s waters continue to rise in Texas, Missouri Baptist disaster relief volunteers are prepping to bring help, hope and healing to those affected by the flood. A mass care (feeding) unit is on standby to head south as soon as roads are clear, and they need at least 20 more volunteers for the first week of operations. “As long as you're DR trained, you are eligible to serve,” said interim disaster relief coordinator, Tamara Parry. “You do not … [Read more...]
Mo. Missions Offering supports WMU, disaster relief
JEFFERSON CITY – The Rheubin L. South Missouri Missions Offering supports 18 ministries in Missouri. This year’s theme is taken from 1 Cor. 3:9a (KJV): “For we are labourers together with God.” Following are two short stories of how the gifts of Missouri Baptists support missions projects throughout the Show Me State. Missions Meets Adventure It’s an annual adventure. Boys from across Missouri gather for RA Congress to compete in archery, riflery, and many other events. The 400 in … [Read more...]
MBC’s Dwain Carter leaving Missouri, headed to Texas
JEFFERSON CITY - Dwain Carter – who has served as Missouri’s director of disaster relief (DR) for more than five years – is stepping down from his role and “following the call of God on my life” as he and his wife move to Texas. Carter notified DR volunteers in an Aug. 2 email of the change, effective Aug. 15th. “Thank you for all your support over the past 5 + years as I have served the best I could as the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) DR Director,” he wrote in the email. “We … [Read more...]
Despite lack of disasters, DR interns soldier on through summer’s heat
JEFFERSON CITY – The unofficial motto for Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief is be flexible, be flexible, be flexible. That motto extends to this summer’s DR interns, even when disasters seem to be few and far between. Five college students are serving through the middle of August as disaster relief interns, and in a twist from recent years, all of them are young women. Living in what can be charitably called spartan conditions for the summer and on call 24-7, the quintet trained in all … [Read more...]
Lessons from 2015 floods proved useful in Eureka
EUREKA – Even before the waters receded in Eureka, the people of the town knew that the flood of April 2017 was going to be different than their experience just months ago in December of 2015. Michael Bagwell, co-regional coordinator for the East Central Region of the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief and member of Central Baptist Church, said the main difference was preparation. “I knew the sandbagging did not work last time,” he said. “So, we decided to look at a more practical … [Read more...]
Update: Salem storm takes out FBC’s gym
SALEM – Severe storms May 27 damaged several homes and tore open the gym of First Baptist here, though no injuries have been reported and power has been restored to most of town. It has not been determined if the damage was the result of a tornado or straight-line winds. “I want to thank everyone so much for the outpouring of prayers in light of all the events at our church,” Pastor Michael York wrote on Facebook. “The storm damaged our building but God is strengthening our church. It … [Read more...]
Dozens of DR teams fan out across southern Missouri
VAN BUREN – The seemingly non-stop showers that brought flooding to southern Missouri weren’t all that unusual. What was unusual was just how widespread the flooding and subsequent damage became. The rains that began at the end of April and stretched into the first weeks of May inundated much of Missouri south of Interstate 44, leaving closed roads – and flooded homes – from Neosho in the southwest all the way to Eureka in the St. Louis area. Teams from all across Missouri – including … [Read more...]
Yeats issues DR plea
John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, issued an immediate call to support DR efforts and pray for flood victims. “I’m writing to ask you to support Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief efforts in the wake of significant flooding across southern Missouri,” he said. “Further, we are learning that a number of Missouri Baptist churches are under water. I am in contact with the pastors of these churches, and am seeking to reach out to more of our local churches that … [Read more...]
DR’s witness pops up during late night flood duty
It was somewhere between 2 and 5 a.m., April 30. It was cold, wet, and windy as I watched the waters of the Osage River creep ever closer. When the Cole County Sheriff activated his posse (a ready-to-go group of trained civilian volunteers… no, we don’t chase after cattle rustlers, but my fingers are crossed) for flood duty, I changed into my uniform and immediately confirmed my availability. I thought I might spend the afternoon stranded citizens trapped in their flooded homes. Instead, … [Read more...]
Update: Missouri flooding damages churches, calls DR to action
VAN BUREN – The flood waters are just now beginning to recede, and while many Missouri Baptists are water-logged, they are ready to help their communities dry out. With some parts of the state seeing rain for four or five straight days and clocking more than a foot of precipitation over the weekend, Gov. Eric Greitens declared a state of emergency April 29. The Mississippi River reached 17 feet above flood stage near Cape Girardeau, within six inches of the all-time record. The Meramec … [Read more...]
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