MOUNT JULIET — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board has sent $15,000 in disaster relief funds to aid Hawaii Baptists ministering in the wake of a wildfire that devastated the island of Maui in early August.
CNN reported Aug. 17 there have been 111 deaths and hundreds of others are still missing.
The efforts of Tennessee Baptists coincide with efforts of Southern Baptists nationwide.
John and Gay Williams, disaster relief co-directors with the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention (HPBC), recently shared a video update on how Southern Baptists can best respond. They implored Southern Baptists to not self-employ.
In the video, Gay Williams said people who “come to Maui to help should be invited” and have “a contact when they land here who has housing and food for them. If you don’t have that, please don’t come,” she urged.
Jones
Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the TBMB, echoed those sentiments.
“The most important things we can do to help now is to pray and provide financial assistance,” he stressed. “They do not need items because most people have nowhere to store things,” he added.
Jones and Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB, encouraged Tennessee Baptists to give generously to assist those in Hawaii who have lost everything they owned in the fires.
“Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief continues to respond with hope and help to the hurting from floods in New England to the wildfires in Maui to the hurricanes in Guam,” Davis said.
“Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State for a reason,” he continued.
“I deeply appreciate the heart for others that Tennessee Baptists consistently demonstrate,” Davis said.
To give to Hawaii disaster relief, go to tndisasterrelief.org and click on the Give Now button and follow the instructions. You can also mail checks, designated for “Hawaii disaster relief” to TBMB, P.0. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068. B&R — This article includes reporting from The Baptist Paper.
