Churches’ giving exceed expectations

By Barbara Denman | Nov. 29, 2007

JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—Touched by the plight of the Haitian people coping in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Noel, Florida Baptists have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to provide food for Haiti’s starving masses.

The Oct. 29 storm left thousands homeless and hungry after massive flooding killed residents and ravaged homes on the island. Florida Baptists through the Confraternite’ Missionaire Baptiste d’Haiti (CMBH) have mounted an extensive feeding effort working with the Baptist churches across the island.

An appeal for funds to underwrite the cost of rice, which is being distributed by the Haitian churches, was issued in November by John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention.

Since the Nov.15 e-mail was released to Florida Baptist pastors and congregations by Sullivan, $27,238 has been sent to the Florida Baptist Convention to support the distribution of rice on the island. Another $9,000 was allocated from Florida Baptist disaster relief and hunger funds.

Sullivan’s request was taken to heart by Fruit Cove Baptist Church in Jacksonville, said Pastor Tim Maynard. After receiving the e-mail, Maynard shared the need with his congregation during “a spontaneous moment in the announcement box,” he recalled “I told the folks, ‘I need $1000.’ I explained it was not for me, but to follow-up with ministry needs in Haiti following Hurricane Noel.”

“I really didn’t say more about it, and truly expected that a couple of folks might give $500 or one generous soul might give a thousand dollars” he explained. “I figured we’d take what was given and add to it as necessary from a missions fund.”

What followed was “totally unexpected and even staggering,” he shared. “During the invitation, a man came forward and placed a $1000 check in my hand. After the service, people came forward, including one young newlywed couple with a heart for missions, and several people that I knew really were making a sacrifice to write the check. They kept coming for almost 20 minutes. I was putting the offerings in my Bible until it got to the point I could hardly close it.” 

In the second service, another several thousand dollars was given. The last thing I expected was for the offering total to be $15,000,” said the Jacksonville pastor.

“Like every other church I know of, we have been struggling with our budget offering this year,” Maynard added. “I know some of these folks probably gave up Christmas money to do give this offering.”

The congregation has been involved in a variety of ways in Haiti, including short-term mission trips, the pastor said. Earlier this year, the church raised $100,000 to give to 34 IMB missionaries serving in the North African Mission East region. Some of the money was provided to the missionaries as spending money during a retreat.

“Fruit Cove has been a generous church historically, and occasionally the people do things that exceed all expectations,” said Maynard. “It was so evident in every way that God prompted hearts and made this offering happen.”

After Pastor David Starkey explained the need to his people, the 120 members of Servants' Quarters Fellowship in Edgewater collected $1,302 for the Haitian hunger needs, even though the church rarely takes an offering for specific needs.

“I think they were motivated by the fact that we are responsible for the churches in Haiti that we as a convention started and helped to grow,” explained Starkey. “Now in a time of a disaster, we must continue to support them.”

“We have a very missional minded congregation and this need struck their hearts,” said the pastor.

The 200 members of Bethesda Christian Center, a Haitian congregation in Fort Lauderdale, gathered $1,085 in gifts for the Haitian feeding project. Pastor Odany Augustin said the church was saddened by the news of the devastation wrought by the storm.

“But we thank God for Dr. Sullivan’s and the convention’s leadership in doing something positive to alleviate the sufferings of these people.”

To date, Baptist churches in Haiti have distributed rice at three different times to their communities, said Craig Culbreth, director of the Convention’s Partnership Department.

“We have spent $28,000 on the three feedings,” Culbreth added, which has provided rice for more than 100,000 persons.

Dennis Wilbanks, associate in that department, traveled to Haiti the last week of November to assess the continuing situation and inspect pastors’ homes and churches that were destroyed by the flooding.

“I am hoping we can still do something for these pastors and churches,” added Culbreth. “Many of them are homeless.”

Florida Baptists have been in partnership with Haitian Baptists since 1996, giving structure and financial assistance to the churches there. After the partnership was developed, their 88 churches increased to nearly 700 churches.

This is the fifth time Florida Baptists have undertaken a campaign to provide food to the churches and their communities after a natural disaster or economic crisis struck the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere. In 2004, after civil war broke out in the nation, Florida Baptists again opened their pocketbooks and provided funding for 170,000 pounds of rice to be distributed.

Financial contributions to disaster relief efforts may be sent to the Florida Baptist Convention, Business Services, P.O. Box 5579, Jacksonville, FL 32247. Please designate “Haiti relief.”