ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is redeploying some of its missions personnel to address tsunami relief needs.
Many missionaries of the Atlanta-based Fellowship have relief-related skills to handle water purification and agricultural needs, medical needs, and the logistical needs of organizing volunteers and other forms of aid, said Jack Snell, CBF Global Missions associate coordinator for field ministries.
Among those redeployed to South Asia on a temporary basis are David Harding, the Fellowship's international coordinator for emergency response and transformational development, who is touring all CBF relief sites in Southeast Asia; Margie and Paul Thibodeaux of Atlanta, who will be based in Southeast Asia to coordinate relief volunteers and to assist with accounting for the expenditure of relief funds; Tim Myrick, now in the Middle East, who will work with a medical-relief team; and Darrell Smith of Macedonia, who is involved with water and soil renewal projects in Southeast Asia.
Redeployments will last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. “The emergency stage of the Asian response is nearing its completion, but the long-term development work is just beginning,” Snell said. “CBF is committed to a holistic approach for the long haul as we seek to be the presence of Christ to those whose lives have been so tragically devastated.”