ABHMS releases OGHS funds in response to tornadoes, flooding in Midwest, Central Plains

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/31/19)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has released two rounds of One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) disaster-relief funds, on behalf of American Baptist Churches USA, in response to recent deadly flooding and tornadoes in the Midwest and Central Plains.

To aid in recovery efforts, ABHMS distributed $10,000 to American Baptist Churches of the Central Region.

“We need to help our people in a tangible way,” says American Baptist Churches of the Central Region Executive Minister the Rev. Dr. Gregg Hemmen, noting that funds will provide for needs that insurance does not cover.

An additional $20,000 to American Baptist Churches of Nebraska followed $10,000 that ABHMS released to the region in March as part of a $25,000 distribution to the Midwest in March.

When ABHMS staff members visited Nebraska in March, American Baptist Churches of Nebraska Executive Minister the Rev. Dr. Robin Stoops reported that two-thirds of the state was flooded.

In addition to home and church repairs, funds are being used to provide temporary housing for those who have been displaced. The region, Stoops says, is relying on “local congregations to identify those most in need.”

ABHMS is also in the process of releasing funds to American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region Area 5 in response to the tornadoes that touched down in Eldon, Mo., and Jefferson City, Missouri’s capital.

“Jefferson City was hit pretty hard,” says the Rev. Muriel L. Johnson, regional associate minister of American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region. “We have numerous ministry partners who have been reaching out for help, and we are bracing for flooding of the Mississippi River that is likely to occur in the St. Louis metro area.”

How you can help

Please pray for relief efforts in the affected regions.

You can donate to OGHS for tornado relief and continue to give to OGHS for flood relief. Donations can be made via your church, by credit card online at abhms.org > Give Now, or by mailing a check to the attention of Leda Carter at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, 1075 First Ave., King of Prussia, PA 19406. Make checks payable to “ABHMS” and write “OGHS-General Tornadoes” or “OGHS-2019 Midwest Floods” on the comment line. To ensure that your church receives credit for your gift, write the church name on your check or, if giving online, in the “comment” box.

One hundred percent of your donation will be allocated to relief efforts; no funds are retained for administrative costs.

One Great Hour of Sharing is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and development assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.