ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

Dr. Michael Loftis, ABWE President

We have all watched the reports from Haiti with sadness and felt a stirring desire to do something.  The massive earthquake, which devastated that already poor nation, has resulted in the loss of more than 200,000 lives and destroyed much of Port-au-Prince and other cities. Two million or more people have been displaced and are living in tents, makeshift shelters, or in the open. Churches and other buildings that are still standing now provide temporary housing, relief distribution, and even sites for surgery and other medical treatment.

Governments, charities, and the United Nations are responding, as they should, with money, aid, and promises. It is a testimony to Christian values that churches and church-related entities are at the forefront of providing resources, both from afar and in the disaster zone. The morning after the earthquake, ABWE began to receive phone calls imploring what we planned to do to help. Time after time our donors and missionaries have responded with compassion to such needs and have seen their efforts blessed with spiritual fruit and dynamic church development as the gospel accompanies relief distribution. While we had no missionaries living in Haiti, we do have active partnerships with churches and organizations there, and we knew we had to act.

Global Access Partnerships (GAP) is ABWE’s partnering arm, and we have assigned our Haiti relief efforts to our GAP personnel, led by missionary Gary Crawford.  At the time of this writing, we have sent funds to “Our Father’s House,” an orphanage serving triple their normal number of children as they take in new orphans whose parents died in the earthquake.  Our advance team will be in Haiti early in February to assess how we can best serve the people there, coming alongside our partners and local churches to supply material needs and medical care and to assist in the rebuilding efforts.  We want to be sure our assistance is effective for the gospel’s sake and meets appropriate legal and accountability standards.  Our International Healthcare Ministries department (IHM) is putting together teams for church-based medical care this spring, and our Project Office is planning work teams to reconstruct church and ministry buildings over the next year or more.  You can review our regular updates on our website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

We believe ABWE’s Haiti Relief project is a good answer to the question asked by so many: “How can I be sure my gift will really help people and at the same time make an eternal difference in lives?” Our ability to respond will depend on resources available, so please consider a gift or an offering from your church congregation. Give online or find an opportunity to serve.

Thank you for your faithful support and for praying about your involvement in our relief efforts. We also covet your prayers for the leaders and teams who will meet physical and spiritual needs with love and care in the name of Christ.