The South Carolina Baptist Convention has established an online giving portal for churches and individuals wishing to help with disaster relief efforts in flooded areas of the state.
SCBC interim executive director-treasurer Richard Harris issued the following letter on Tuesday, Oct. 6:
South Carolina has experienced historic rainfall and flooding that few of us have experienced in our lifetime. Thousands across our state have lost homes or had significant damage to their homes, as well as vehicles and other personal property. Business owners are facing huge damage to buildings and inventory loss. Numerous churches (many of our SCBC churches) and their members have felt the wrath of the heavy rains and flooding.
Throughout Columbia and much of the state, the roads, highways, and interstates, as well as much of the state’s infrastructure (water, electrical, sewer, etc.), have notable damage which will require days and weeks to repair. Because of water in roads and limited water/sewer service, we closed our SCBC building for the last two days.
As your interim state executive director-treasurer, I want to call South Carolina Baptists to join hearts, heads, and hands to pray for flood victims as well as our SBC Disaster Relief teams already rallying and responding to overwhelming needs. I want to respectfully ask our SCBC pastors to call and mobilize members (some already are) in a united prayer for the victims and those responding with assistance and aid. This crisis provides all of our churches historic opportunities to undergird in prayer the front-line responders as they express the love of Christ, meet needs, and share the hope found in the Gospel with thousands of the 3.6 million lost/unchurched in South Carolina.
A second challenge I offer our churches is to encourage members trained through Disaster Relief to participate in the teams being mobilized. Many churches and associations have their own trained teams who are/will be responding to the flood crisis. Disaster Relief trained volunteers interested in serving should e-mail Sue Harmon at sueharmon@scbaptist.org.
Some of our fellow state conventions are inquiring about service in South Carolina. We welcome their assistance! Our capable and highly experienced staff members, Randy Creamer and Sue Harmon, are coordinating our SCBC Disaster Relief efforts within the state. Mickey Caison, a South Carolina native and former South Carolina pastor, is the North American Mission Board coordinator of Disaster Relief teams from other state conventions. As flood waters recede and a thorough assessment of damage and needs can be made, teams will be deployed to appropriate locations.
A third opportunity to join our hearts, heads, and hands is through financial resources. Big dollars will be needed to give appropriate response to all the challenges before us. I can assure you that our SCBC staff and I will be focusing the financial resources (and people resources) at our disposal to the Disaster Relief teams and efforts. If you or anyone else would like to contribute to the monumental flood needs in South Carolina, donations are being accepted through the links below:
For additional information about the Disaster Relief efforts, click here.
Our SCBC Building is being used as a command center for coordinating Disaster Relief efforts. Our Disaster Relief chaplains are being deployed, and our Disaster Relief teams are preparing to respond. Feeding units began serving meals to first responders and hospital personnel on Monday, October 5.
We say we are serious about presenting the Gospel to everyone in South Carolina and to fulfilling the Great Commission in our lifetime. This flood crisis provides one of the greatest opportunities to reveal our love for our fellow citizens and obedience to the Lord who commissioned us! The empowering of the Holy Spirit is ours to change the population of heaven and hell as we love folks in Jesus’ name!
Thank you!
Richard Harris
Interim Executive Director-Treasurer
How can I help the Flood victims? I am with First Baptist Mauldin.
For more information about volunteering, please contact your local Baptist association: http://www.scbaptist.org/s-c-baptist-associations/