wfn.org | ABCUSA: World Relief Committee Funds Programs and Projects

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 11/15/03)--In semiannual
session here Nov. 13 the American Baptist Churches' World Relief Committee
has voted to fund a number of new and ongoing relief and development
programs and projects in the U.S and overseas. 

The committee establishes policy for distribution of funds from the One
Great Hour of Sharing Offering.  Projects were presented by American Baptist
International Ministries, American Baptist National Ministries and Baptist
World Aid of the Baptist World Alliance.

Among nearly 40 new projects funded today by the committee were: an
ecumenical relief partnership with Baptist World Aid, Hungarian Baptist Aid
and the Presbyterian Church (USA) to provide wheat flour for a noodle
factory in Bongsoo, Pyonggyang, Korea (two grants totaling $126,666 over
three years); Bede Development Service, a ministry for marginalized people
in Bangladesh ($24,800 over two years); a tribal literacy and health care
program operated by the National Baptist Convention of Brazil ($13,000); a
community development project in Estable Antar, Egypt, facilitated by the
Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services ($30,000 over three
years); the Christian Mission to Gaza, an outreach to refugees and others in
need in the Gaza Strip ($20,000 over two years); a youth education project
of the Akha Churches of Thailand ($12,000 over three years); and the
Integrated Tribal Development Program in Thailand ($14,300).

Also: the Baptist Association for Relief and Development, a project of
Liberian Baptists to facilitate reconstruction in their war-torn country
($27,778); a four-wheel drive disaster relief vehicle for Provadenic, a
relief organization in Nicaragua ($16,643); New Horizon, a ministry
development project in Ryanzan, Russia ($27,778); and the HIV/AIDS project
of the Union of Baptist Churches in Rwanda ($17,778).

World Relief Officer Charles Sydnor reported that American Baptists had
given $1,820,479 to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering through
September.  He noted that he anticipates a decrease from last year of about
$100,000 in undesignated OGHS receipts, and as a result has had to be
especially judicious in the distribution of emergency grants.	He projected
that 2004 likely also will see a decrease from 2002 and that possibly fewer
projects will be considered for funding by the committee. 

Sydnor, who will be leaving his position next year to return to the mission
field in Nepal, noted that "my 15 years with the committee has been a
wonderful experience; the committee has been a joy to work with."  He added,
"May the World Relief Committee continue to be faithful servants of this
wonderful ministry on behalf of all American Baptists."

K/2003ABNS/03ABN139

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org