VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 05/05/08) - American Baptist International Ministries will provide an initial $5,000 disaster relief grant to help with relief and recovery in Myanmar, where Cyclone Nargis struck on Saturday.
The grant, funded by One Great Hour of Sharing, was requested by Rev. Stan Murray, area director for Southeast Asia. The initial funds will be used by partners to provide immediate relief of clean drinking water, non-perishable food, blankets and medical kits to those who are victims of the devastating storm.
According to media reports, Nargis struck on May 3, in a low-lying delta region of this Southeast Asian country, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour. News account give estimates of at least 10,000 deaths, with another 3,000 people missing and 100,000 people displaced. In a country with a population of nearly 55.4 million, the cyclone struck a region in the southwestern tip of the country, home to 24 million people.
" Myanmar has tremendous historical and current importance to American Baptists," said Murray. "Formerly known as Burma, our mission agency began with the work of the Judsons in that country. Today, we are still partners with the Myanmar Baptist Convention, and work with many ethnic groups from Burma who are refugees seeking to make a new life in the United States," Murray said. He added that International Ministries has not been able to make contact with its partners in Myanmar, but hopes to do so very soon and get better assessments of the immediate and long-term needs in the country for relief and recovery.
American Baptists wishing to support ongoing Myanmar efforts can do so through their church's monthly report of mission support, designating contributions "OGHS-Myanmar Cyclone." For online contributions, go to the give now option available at www.abc-oghs.org/give.
In 1950, several American Protestant denominations merged their campaigns for relief to create what is now known as the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS). American Baptists joined this effort in 1973. The collective effort raises about $20 million annually for development aid, disaster relief and refugee resettlement assistance in more than 70 countries around the world.
Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/