During my tenure as executive director, I’ve walked through long, dark hours, days and months in the aftermath of numerous disasters.

Through it all, Alabama Baptists have been faithful to pray, give and go so that people in affected communities – too many to mention – might receive help from the Yellow Shirt Army. I am so thankful that each Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer is a trained witness, able to share the Gospel even as they labor rigorously with highly practical skills.

Two especially destructive disasters – and this is certainly an understatement – were Hurricane Katrina and then April 2011 when more than 175 tornadoes swept across Alabama.

Katrina ravaged Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana and damaged New Orleans on an unimaginable scale. I went to seminary in New Orleans, and my heart was torn when I heard about the loss of so many lives, property damage and destruction of infrastructure that Katrina left in its wake.

I can sympathize and empathize with my brothers and colleagues who serve as executive directors in the several states that have been hit so hard by Helene.

Please pray for them even as they seek to shepherd their people during this major time of crisis that will not end any time soon. In each of these states, the execs are serving as encouragers and, of course, as leaders who must give leadership during unspeakably difficult times, managing and marshaling resources and personnel consisting of staff and countless volunteers.

I ask all Alabama Baptists to pray for those who have been affected by this massive hurricane that took so many lives and damaged property estimated in multiple billions of dollars. God hears our prayers, and we need to pray fervently and faithfully.

I want Alabama Baptists to know that 100% of funds that are being given for disaster relief will be shared with our sister state conventions.

The deployment of the Yellow Shirt Army along with the equipment they utilize to help affected people has come out of General Disaster Relief. That includes dollars from the Myers-Mallory State Missions Offering since disaster relief is one of the five strategic missional priorities embedded in that offering.

General Disaster Relief funds are never used to pay salaries or for other so-called overhead. Instead the Cooperative Program provides for the ministry infrastructure, such as the state missionary service of Mark Wakefield, who is Alabama Baptists’ disaster relief strategist, and the ministry assistants who work with him.

Pray not only for these SBOM personnel but of course for those teams of volunteers who are now serving in South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Alabama Baptists’ Yellow Shirt Army is in this for the long term and will serve and go where they are needed. They need sustaining strength from Christ even as they serve and witness for Him.

For more information on how you can help, visit www.sbdr.org.