Southern Baptists have an opportunity to ease the pangs of hunger in North America, as well as around the globe, by giving to the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund. Since 1974, Southern Baptists have given nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to alleviate hunger worldwide.
A percentage of those funds is disbursed to ministry sites in North America. Since the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) inception more than a decade ago, domestic hunger funds have decreased from $1.5 million in 1998 to $1.2 million in 2008.
Fortunately NAMB and its partners have been able to sustain and even see growth in domestic hunger ministries.
While donations have mostly decreased over the past decade, the number of meals served has increased by 1.3 million, and the number of ministries has increased from 1,048 to 2,019.
The greatest increase has been in the number of professions of faith directly related to hunger ministries.
Professions of faith have increased from 9,259 in 1998 to 36,074 in 2008, when World Hunger funds provided an estimated 5 million meals through 2,200 hunger ministries across North America.
But some are still going hungry. Requests for assistance from NAMB’s Hunger Relief Ministry increased 25 percent in the last quarter of 2008.
“We were forced to turn down $150,000 in requests for assistance last year due to lack of funds,” said Sandy Wood, NAMB hunger ministry specialist. “We hope our Southern Baptist churches will consider supporting the World Hunger Fund’s domestic program. It’s been a tough year. The need is greater than it’s been in a long time, and funds are hard to come by.”
Hunger ministry provides churches with a unique opportunity to share the Bread of Life, along with bread for living, and is a great place for churches to begin ministering within their communities.
In 2008, Alabama Baptists gave $771,491.16 to the World Hunger Fund. Ten percent of the state convention’s total World Hunger Offering remains within the state to assist associations with food pantries, while the remainder is divided between the International Mission Board (80 percent) and NAMB (20 percent).
For 2009, the state goal is $875,000, as established at the 2008 Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting.
To give to the World Hunger Fund, mail checks to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Attn. Accounting Office, P.O. Box 11870, Montgomery, AL 36111. Funds also may be designated through inclusion in Cooperative Program funds. (BP, TAB)
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