ABCNJ Joins the Fight Against Ebola

The ABCNJ GoGlobal Task Force Meeting on Monday, October 27, 2014and recommended two opportunities for our region’s churches to respond to the Ebola crisis ravaging Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Give Thanksgiving Offerings to Ebola-Infected Areas

The GoGlobal Task Force encourages all ABNCJ churches to consider dedicating your Thanksgiving special offerings to address the Ebola crisis. These offerings can be given to the One Great Hour of Sharing. Use the ABC Missions Form to designate this offering, or mail it to the ABCNJ Region Office and we will do it for you.

The American Baptist World Relief Committee approved an emergency grant of $120,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) for American Baptist International Ministries (IM) to help partners address the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. “In addition to huge medical needs, food security has become a major issue,” stated Lisa Rothenberger, ABC’s World Relief Officer. “People have been unable to go to work at the same time as food prices have increased and access to marketplaces has become more limited. The combined impact for the people in the 3 affected countries is that many are now having trouble feeding their families. Our Liberian partners have shared their fear that more people will die of hunger than Ebola---that is something we need to respond to now,” Rothenberger continued.

$120,000 in undesignated funds donated through American Baptist Churches to OGHS will be invested in the work of IM partners: Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Liberia Direct Baptist Missionary Conference, Baptist World Aid and IMA World Health. Approximately 70% will be used to provide food and medical supplies, while the remaining 30% will focus on Ebola prevention. Half of the prevention funds will be used by IM missionary Rick Gutierrez to produce an animated Ebola prevention video based upon his highly acclaimed and widely viewed HIV prevention video. The video will be easily translated into many African languages.

Supplies for Alpha Baptist Liberia Ebola Relief Container

Alpha Baptist Church in Willingboro has reserved a 40 foot container to ship supplies to an Ebola Center in Liberia. They are asking ABCNJ churches and individuals to contribute cases of water, Gatorade, and pedialyte for adults and children. Supplies should be brought directly to the church (15 Rose Street, Willingboro, NJ 08046; telephone # 609-877-6500). The church will be open to receive donated supplies from Monday-Friday (10am-4pm; 6:30pm-8:30pm) and on Sundays (8am-2pm).

Together with American Baptists around the country, we can make a difference!