SBC Tsunami Relief Efforts

Commonly Asked Questions:

1. How were Southern Baptist missionaries affected? Southern Baptists missionaries are safe and in place to minister to survivors.

2. Where are Southern Baptist relief workers concentrating their efforts? While much of the world’s attention focuses on the damage and death at world-famous tourist destinations, Southern Baptist relief workers have begun to mobilize to reach the areas virtually untouched, even by local governments. The coordinator for Southern Baptist disaster relief in Asia, said while the tragedy is terrible everywhere, those areas which bring the most capital will be rebuilt the fastest. “There are other people, though, that need more help,” he says. “Other areas have sustained great damage but no one has been out to assess the losses and needs.”

3. What are Southern Baptists doing? Initial efforts have focused on delivering food, water, medical supplies and other essentials to survivors in heavily damaged coastal villages in Thailand and Malaysia. Assessment teams are headed for other areas where more than 100,000 people have died.

4. What will Southern Baptists do long-term? Meeting human needs as an extension of the hands of Christ means that the assistance needs to produce eternal repercussions, emphasized a coordinator for Southern Baptist disaster relief in Asia. After the first wave of aid agencies has come and gone, it is much easier to see exactly what the true, lasting needs will be for the people and communities affected by tragedy, he said.

5. What makes Southern Baptist work unusual? “The timing of the relief work is going to be as important as the supplies we distribute,” said a relief coordinator in Asia. “We want to help people immediately; that’s always our first instinct. But we don’t want to be just another relief agency. We want our work to have a face. We want to establish relationships so they see us as individuals who love and care.”

6. How do I give to help those hurt by the earthquake? By phone — Call (800)999-3113 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday to give using your MasterCard or Visa credit card. Have your card handy when you call. Mail — Send checks to this address: Asia Earthquake Disaster Relief/International Mission Board/ P.O. Box 6767/ Richmond VA 23230

7. Is my gift tax deductible? Yes, whichever method you use to give, you will receive a receipt by mail for tax purposes. Tax receipts can only be issued for funds received in the Richmond office and not for funds received on the field.

8. Can I trust the International Mission Board to use my gift responsibly? 100 percent of what you give will be used to meet disaster needs. The International Mission Board is one of the few organizations who can make this claim — but only because Southern Baptists provide ongoing support through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. That often means personnel are already in place who know the ropes — language, culture and local infrastructure — to uncover needs and design the best systems for meeting them. That also means that the structure is already in place to publicize the needs, receive gifts and channel them to where they’re needed most. Also, a board of trustees named by the Southern Baptist Convention approves the International Mission Board budget and spending policies, and the International Mission Board employs an independent accounting firm to audit the board’s financial statements each year. A trustee finance committee oversees the audit, meeting with management and the board’s independent accountants. You may <<request a copy of the board’s latest financial statement>>. HYPERLINK mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected]


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http://www.fbcvr.com/page6.html