VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 1/13/10)—A 7 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. with devastating results.
American Baptist missionary families serving in Haiti with International Ministries were in the United States at the time. Steve and Nancy James are returning to Haiti immediately and Nzunga Mabudiga and Kihomi Ngwemi are on a planned U.S./Puerto Rico home assignment.
$25,000 in One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) funds will be made immediately available to the Haitian Baptist Convention, IM’s partner in Haiti.
The death toll in affected areas has not yet been determined. International Ministries, along with our HBC partners are conducting an assessment of the crisis. Please check the website set up by International Ministries about the Haiti earthquake at http://www.internationalministries.org/topics/haiti_earthquake for updates.
General Secretary Roy Medley issued the following response: “The hearts of American Baptists go out to the citizens of Haiti and their families in the US in the aftermath of the earthquake that has devastated Port au Prince. Our history of solidarity with the people of Haiti stretches back many years, as we have worked alongside them in medical, agricultural and educational efforts.
To our brothers and sisters in the Haitian Baptist Convention, their General Secretary, Rev. Emmanuel Pierre, and to the Haitian Alliance in the US, we extend our deepest Christian sympathies to all who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.
We know that American Baptists will respond generously with financial and volunteer resources in response to this disaster as an expression of our deep love for our brothers and sisters there."
Haiti, a nation of 9 million people, is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. It is about the size of Maryland and is on the western half of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. IM missionaries in the Dominican Republic are safe and report no damage in their areas.
Pray for Haiti and its people.
• Pray for the proper response of the world to this tragedy.
• Pray for believers in Haiti to shine forth the love of Christ is this time of desperate need.
Emergency donations can be made at GIVE on www.abc-usa.org; or send your check made payable to “One Great Hour of Sharing – Haiti Earthquake Relief” through your normal remittance channels.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.