Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia – and the list of states continues, related to horrific destruction caused by the devastating tornadoes of the past few weeks. Lives were tragically lost (the count is around 350 thus far), a few thousand were injured, countless were left homeless, hundreds are still missing, and dozens of church buildings were demolished. Such is the result of the latest round of tornadoes to hit the Deep South.
AustinSouth Carolina Baptists, along with disaster relief units from other states, were quickly deployed to address the pressing and urgent needs of the storm victims. Not since Hurricane Katrina have South Carolina Baptist Disaster Relief units been so widely dispersed.
Thankfully, because of the great leadership of Cliff Satterwhite and his invaluable network of skilled workers and dedicated directors of missions, our state disaster relief groups are expertly prepared for ministry in every eventuality.
Not only are our disaster relief volunteers involved in relief efforts resulting from tornado damage, but, by the time you read this column, we anticipate mud-out crews to be involved in other states because of what is predicted to be record flooding. This spring has truly proven to be one of historic calamities, yet South Carolina Baptists have not been found unconcerned in taking our Lord’s very serious admonitions to give cups of cold water in His name, care for the least of these, and be involved in telling His good news.
As we continue to see teams dispatched, work accomplished, comfort extended and the gospel shared, may we continue to pray for those impacted by these historic storms. Let’s also pray for the many South Carolina Baptists and volunteers from other states who are selflessly giving of their time and skills to assist those in need. May we also be diligent to ensure that when calamities strike, we continue to be uniquely prepared to maintain our ability to quickly respond to any crisis.
More disaster relief training opportunities will be offered in the not-too-distant future. When they are made available, please prayerfully consider participating in these equipping times to ensure that South Carolina Baptists continue to be ready and available to assist all in need and bring honor to our Lord in every calamity.
– Austin is executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.