wfn.org | ABCUSA Burma Refugee Task Force Awards More Than Three Dozen Grants

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> American Baptist News Service (ABNS)

ABCUSA Burma Refugee Task Force Awards More Than Three Dozen Grants

VALLEY FORGE, PA (08/26/09)?Thirty-eight 2009 grants have been awarded
by the ABCUSA Burma Refugee Task Force to American Baptists working
with Burmese refugees in the United States. The 2008 grants totaled
31. These grants are supported by ABCUSA?s Mission Initiative Fund and
One Great Hour of Sharing funds from National Ministries.

Grants are utilized for a variety of purposes. Most commonly, they
support transportation that enables refugees to go to church, work,
appointments and job interviews. Grants have been used to help new
arrivals participate in drivers? education.

The funds also support staff positions such as outreach coordinators
and interpreters, along with general programs that assist with
emergency needs, welcome baskets and initial settlement costs. Grants
also fund programs that send children to church camp, help people find
jobs, participate in job skill and life skill training, and more.

Thirteen of the 2009 grants support work in new locations. The grant
program will continue into 2010, the final year of the award from the
Mission Initiative Fund. The Burma Refugees Task Force hopes to expand
the scope and number of projects even more next year.

?The grants became vision vehicles for congregational transformation
that capture mission on the doorstep in a challenging time,? says the
Rev. Florence Li, National Ministries? Asian churches strategist.

Duane Binkley, a Burma Refugee Task Force member and missionary
dually-aligned with International Ministries and the Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship, says, ?The real value of these grants also says
?welcome? to these new Americans while strengthening the relationship
between the denomination as a whole, the new refugee congregations,
and the churches and people helping them.?

The Burma Refugee Task Force is a cooperative effort of National
Ministries, International Ministries, the Office of the General
Secretary, and American Baptist Women?s Ministries, along with
leadership from Karen, Chin and Kachin pastors as well as lay leaders
of American Baptist churches serving refugee populations.

For more information about Burmese refugees and related ministries:

> * Visit www.karenkonnection.org;

* Contact Florence Li at 1-800-222-3872, x2468, or Florence.Li@abc-usa.org;

* Contact Duane Binkley at 330-699-4174 or dmbink@pobox.com.

For information about sponsorship of refugee resettlement:

* Contact Ken George at 1-800-222-3872, x2034, or  Ken.george@abc-usa.org;

* Contact Diane Giova at 1-800-222-3872, x2450, or Diane.Giova@abc-usa.org.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian
denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3
million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged
in God?s mission around the world.

posted @ Wednesday, August 26, 2009 12:10 PM by admin