DALLAS (ABP) –Texas Baptists are giving $25,000 through a group of churches to help victims of the East Africa famine.
The convention is giving $20,000 from its disaster relief funds and $5,000 from the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger to TEAM — The Ethiopian Aid Mission, a consortium of primarily Baptist congregations in East Texas who have been serving in Ethiopia more than three years. The coalition will work with Ethiopian congregations to ensure that people who need food receive it.
About 12 million people in the Horn of Africa are facing hunger, and thousands of Somalis daily are fleeing the nation for refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Camps are swelling in size as people begin living on the outskirts of the settlements. According to media reports, about half of the children attempting to get to the camps are at risk of dying as a result of malnutrition and disease.
Jim Palmer, who coordinates TEAM's work in Ethiopia, recently has been in dialogue with church leaders there about how to provide assistance. TEAM congregations and partners have raised nearly $10,000 for the relief effort as well.
"This is the beginning of a major crisis," Plamer said. "This isn't going to be over in six months. I'm just thankful we have people in Ethiopia and people here who want to help like this."
Ferrell Foster, who coordinates the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, said the allotted funding will help TEAM continue to share the hope of Christ in the region, especially in this particularly trying time.
"The depth of suffering caused by the famine in East Africa is shocking to behold," Foster said. "The heart of compassion given by God pushes us to look for ways to make a difference, and that is exactly what these Texas Baptist churches have done through their ministry in Ethiopia. Through the disaster funds and the hunger offering, all Texas Baptists now have the opportunity to join these churches in their efforts to change lives, helping satisfy their physical and spiritual hunger."
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John Hall writes for Texas Baptist communications.