Communication failure has not stopped Alabama Baptist chaplain teams from reaching hurting families in areas affected by the recent severe weather.
Ray Baker, prison ministry coordinator in the office of Christian ethics and chaplaincy ministries for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said chaplain teams were active in Moulton, Tuscaloosa, Pleasant Grove and Birmingham. At press time, he said another team was planning to work in Phil Campbell.
“Right now, we are getting the request for one-day intervention per location,” he said and noted that chaplains were currently doing trauma intervention, helping people cope with the loss and trauma of the storm and offering encouragement and grief mitigation.
Baker believed chaplains in other affected areas were already reaching out to people even though he could not reach many by phone or e-mail since much of the communication in storm-ravaged areas was not working. However, he said chaplains would be sent wherever they are requested.
“We will send people closest to the response location, get them there as quick as we can and be good stewards and get the maximum involvement,” he said. “This is not going to be over in a week. There is going to be a need during recovery and building, and we are still going to be available.” (TAB)
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