We take weather seriously in our state. Alabama has always been known as part of “tornado alley.” We are also a coastal state. Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico are annual concerns for us.

Following the devastating tornadoes that struck Alabama in 2011, Alabama Baptists wisely saw the need to launch an annual state disaster relief offering to help ensure that funds would be available year-round to assist disaster victims. Prior to that time, it wasn’t unusual for a major hurricane or a tornado strike to empty our reserves completely.

The Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Offering was approved by messengers to the 2011 meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention in Mobile, and Alabama Baptists have generously supported the offering in April 2012 and 2013. Since then, we’ve noticed the benefit of moving that offering earlier in the year, to try to stay ahead of the worst of the bad weather.

Read more – http://ricklance.com/2015/02/05/why-a-disaster-relief-offering/