Disaster Relief Updates (State)
June 30, 2009--Stats Report
In May, Jefferson Association shower trailer responded to Carbondale, Illinois where volunteers provided 51 showers and did 45 loads of laundry during clean up from storms that hit the area. The state mud out team and Henrietta Baptist Church mud out team responded to West Virginia following flooding where they did 9 mud out jobs. The total volunteer days for these out of state responses was 70.
Volunteers have been kept busy in-state in response to an ice storm that occurred the end of January and then with a windstorm that happened in mid May. Teams from out of state assisted in clean up for both storms. Totals from the two responses, including work done by out of state teams, are: 974 volunteer days, 8,985 meals prepared, 354 chain saw jobs, 1,031 showers, 392 loads of laundry, 14 children cared for, 1 roof tarped, 50 messages sent, 7 chaplain counseling opportunities, 508 Bibles given, 9 salvations, Gospel shared 2,706 times, 436 other ministry opportunities.
The state shower trailer, the Spring River shower trailer, and the Jefferson Association shower trailer are also providing shower and laundry support for several mission/building projects throughout the state.
March, 2009
Policy Change:
We recently had an incident that made us a little more sensitive in the area of training and using non-Southern Baptists in Disaster Relief. Consequently, and for your information, we have adopted the following policy that we hope will allow for both security and flexibility:
A certified Disaster Relief volunteer must be 18 years of age, be a member of a Missouri Southern Baptist Church and be endorsed by a pastor of a cooperating Missouri Southern Baptist Church. All certified volunteers will be placed on our mass e-mail list and receive notification of all call outs. Non Southern Baptists may receive training at a reduced cost for all areas except chaplaincy and child care and serve as a “walk on” but not be certified or have the Disaster Relief, badge, cap or shirt.
Answers to questions:
1. The SBC or NAMB does not have a policy on this issue. They leave it up to the individual state.
2. The “incident” I alluded to was nothing very significant or to be thought of as “bad.” We just had some non-Southern Baptists come to a training event. It simply raised the question, “do we want to allow for non-Southern Baptists to be involved in disaster relief in some way?”
3. This policy will be in effect beginning with our training event in August in Poplar Bluff. It will not require anything right now of those who are presently certified until the time of retraining. It is not intended to be “retro-active.” It will be required of anyone who is being trained for the first time and in the case of retraining after every three years.
4. We will ask the pastor simply if he believes the volunteer meets the qualifications of a volunteer found in the Disaster Relief Operations Manual in Section VII under “Spiritual Preparation” and “Who Should Be A Volunteer?” The essence of this will be listed on our web site so the pastor can easily refer to it. He can simply affirm in writing a person with this in mind or not. He, of course, will be free to make any comments he desires to.
5. Non-Southern Baptists that may be allowed to serve as a “walk-on” will be people our units are familiar with and will be able to vouch for. We will trust their decision as to who they may bring with them to training and on site to serve in that capacity.
The “walk-on’s” pastor’s recommendation will be required also.
6. Nothing else changes. Previous requirements for certification still hold.
7. We realize that doctrinal integrity is a large concern. It certainly is for me. I would not expect a walk-on who is not essentially and significantly in agreement with our doctrine to get past our pastors and unit leadership. This policy is our attempt to allow people to serve as the Lord leads them and also feel secure with what is said and done on the disaster site.
