BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

Unsung heroes caught in acts of kindness

My office received this e-mail last week from Dean Emery, chaplain of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, as the county tried to recover after Hurricane Charley pilfered and plundered our great state.

"On behalf of Sheriff Crow and the men and women of his office we say a heart-felt thank you. The Florida Baptist Convention efforts led by Ed Hall have made a tremendous impact in the Lake Wales\Frostproof community."

"While our deputies were unable to take care of their own homes because of duty requirements many were blessed in having Southern Baptist Convention relief crews clear their doorways, roofs and power lines in the early days. I believe God has used you to move my ministry as a chaplain forward five years.

"Our chief pilot was one member assisted by the SBC crews. While expressing his appreciation for the help he told me from the air he could see our yellow shirts everywhere.

"I wish every Southern Baptist could see what I have seen in the last two weeks."

Florida Baptists, you are being well represented across the state by unsung heroes of the faith.

Heroes like Ed Hall, a member of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland who was mentioned in Dean Emery’s e-mail. Hall has served in Iraq, New York City after the fall of the World Trade Center, in Haiti three times, Brazil, Montana, Louisiana and throughout our state assisting in disaster relief and mission projects. Now he is spearheading the relief efforts in Lake Wales.

Heroes like Leon and Nell Branch of Orlando, who parked their mobile home at South Biscayne Baptist Church in North Port on the day after Hurricane Charley struck and spent days and nights coordinating the work of Florida Baptist responders at the command center.

Heroes like Bill Stevenson of Jacksonville who from the very first day coordinated the preparation of 10,000 meals a day through one of the 18 Florida and Southern Baptists’ mobile feeding units, starting work at 4 a.m. and finishing up at 10 p.m., serving in temperatures nearing 100 degrees.

Heroes like Mike Morgan, Dade City; Robert Whittle and Billy Johnson, Port St. Joe; Jane Philpot and Marion Bricker, DeFuniak Springs; Michael Shoenberg, Miami; Bill Perkins, Sarasota; George Stone, Fort Walton Beach; Rex Fountain, Tavares; Rick Whilden, Eustis; Charlie Blubaugh, Melbourne. Although, too numerous to mention, the list goes on.

From across the state they came in groups of one or two; by the truckload or in caravans.

While these Florida Baptists heroes are named, they represent thousands of Florida and Southern Baptists from across the state and country who served alongside--operating chainsaws, carrying branches and logs, climbing trees and roofs, stirring boiling pots of beef stew, washing pots with steaming water, lifting large containers of potatoes, opening hundreds of food cans with industrialized can openers, cutting trees from homes and patching roofs with temporary coverings.

The majority of these unsung heroes are laypeople, spending precious vacation time, or dedicating their well-deserved retirement years to serve others. They slept on air mattresses and cots in fellowship halls and in sanctuaries. They bathed in portable outdoor showers and ate meals from food lines. Their only motivation is to help others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Other volunteers have been pastors and church staff members, working side by side with their flock. On of my favorite pictures was seeing Dave Kelley, executive pastor of First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace and church member Jim Roy who spent days cleaning up debris in Wauchula and Punta Gorda, and at one point using Kelly’s late model SUV to upright a giant oak tree.

And there have been hundreds of unsung heroes who while unable to volunteer to help, have supported the effort financially, including one generous soul who chose to donate $100,000; and another elderly woman who sent her “widow’s mite” check for $2.

After the storm, Punta Gorda resident Cheryl Cummings had five massive oak trees covering her house. She said she kept wondering “What I was going to do. All of the sudden, the Baptists showed up and soon the trees were gone.”

A crew of Baptist men covered the roof of Barry McDonald’s elderly father’s home. “We’ve had lots of people offering help for a price,” McDonald said. “But these men were the only ones who offered to assist for free. I have no words to express what these people have done—their unselfish acts to my family.”

Florida Baptists, only God knows all of your names and all of the lives touched by your faithful acts of kindness. I thank God for your hard work and for carrying the name of Florida Baptists and the Christ they represent to a hurting state.

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at
1-800-226-8584, ext. 3015, or by e-mail.