From BP, B&R reports
Scott Brown, left, pastor of First Baptist Church, Waverly, and Kaye Thomas, volunteer coordinator for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief in Waverly, prays with truck driver Kent Lovell.
NASHVILLE — More than 2,100 professions of faith came as a result of the ministry of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) in 2021, which is nearly a record number for professions of faith in a single year for the ministry.
The full total of 2,133 professions of faith is just one of the positive statistics from SBDR.
Oher positive reports include more than 83,000 meals distributed, more than 51,000 volunteer days throughout the year and more than 10,000 Gospel presentations.
Sam Porter, national director for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief for Send Relief with the North American Mission Board, told Baptist Press that the unique service-based ministry of disaster relief provides the opportunity to provide hurting people with hope.
Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers reported 182 gospel conversations and 48 professions of faith in 2021.
“Disaster relief is ultimately about having opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those we serve in a very difficult time in their lives,” said Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Wes Jones
“We want to offer them help with the physical needs they are experiencing (feeding, flood recovery, chain saw, laundry, showers etc.),” he said.
“While we are ministering to them, having conversations with homeowners, neighbors, those passing by and some of those we are working with, DR volunteers look for opportunities to bring Christ into the conversation to find out what that person’s belief system and experience is and then begin to share what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ and how that person can come into that personal relationship with Christ also, if they do not have it,” he continued.
While chaplains have those conversations, “we want all our volunteers to be able and willing to intentionally share their faith as God opens the door to share.
“For us as an organization, should we fail or stop sharing our faith, we have failed and have lost our reason to exist. In all that we do, ministry is our first priority,” Jones stressed. B&R
