It was in the wake of the state’s April tornado disaster that members of the Alabama Baptist Christian Life Commission (CLC) responded to an urgent need.
In the midst of people grieving their losses from the storm’s deadly path, these CLC members found ways to minister to survivors’ physical and spiritual needs.
Some CLC members served hot meals and provided a drop-off center for two weeks. They fed 100 people one week and 300 the next week. One member — who is trained as a chaplain — went door-to-door, offering pastoral help to families. Some assisted in cleanup and fundraising for survivors, while others distributed amenities that were difficult to find at that time.
Without knowing for 12 hours that his family had survived the storm, Richard Montgomery assisted in clearing trees and supplying food and water to survivors. His family did make it, and he continued working for 28 days in disaster relief.
A long list of disaster relief efforts by CLC members were described as CLC Chairperson Mitzi Holladay gave her report to the state convention Nov. 16. CLC members went above and beyond in disaster relief, she said, speaking proudly about the humility the members displayed in their work.
They fulfilled the Matthew 22 commandment, which is to love God and “love your neighbor as yourself,” Holladay said.
“We do all this because we love our Lord,” she said before a video showing stories about the difference disaster relief volunteers made following the tornadoes.
As a 16-person organization that educates Christians about ethical and moral issues currently of interest to Alabama Baptists, the CLC encourages churches to participate in Special Sundays that address topics relevant to applied Christianity, such as Substance Abuse Prevention, Sanctity of Human Life, Citizenship and Religious Liberty and Anti-Gambling.
It also promotes the special offering for the World Hunger Fund. Alabama Baptists gave $749,201.14 to this fund in 2010, according to the Book of Reports.
The CLC also distributes the “Christian Life Report,” a quarterly newsletter that features literature written about topics such as these. According to the Book of Reports, the newsletter’s circulation has increased to 6,000 subscribers.
The “Christian Life Report” can be read online at www.alsbom.org. (TAB)
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