When the compassion ministry partnership between the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board — Send Relief — was announced five years ago (Feb. 18, 2020), discussions for who would oversee the effort were taking place but not quite polished enough to be released at the same time.
However, about two weeks later on March 2, Bryant Wright, founding pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia, was installed as Send Relief’s president. His role has focused mainly on public relations and fundraising for the ministry, and his position is funded by IMB and NAMB, each providing 50% of his salary.
While Wright reports directly to both IMB president Paul Chitwood and NAMB president Kevin Ezell, two vice presidents technically manage the day-to-day ministry efforts — one for national work and one for global work. But beginning April 1 of this year (2025) the vice presidents will continue their work without a president.
Wright is wrapping up his role March 31, and current plans are not to replace him.
‘New season’
According to a NAMB news report released Feb. 3, “Wright’s retirement marks a new season in Send Relief’s partnership between NAMB and IMB. Ezell and Chitwood will give leadership to Send Relief while (the two vice presidents of Send Relief) will be overseeing the team members from each mission board.”
The Alabama Baptist asked Send Relief officials to share more about what “a new season” in the partnership means and a spokesperson said, “The Send Relief president’s role was especially valuable during the initial years of the IMB–NAMB partnership. Both mission boards will continue to provide substantial operational support and leadership under this new arrangement.
“Kevin Ezell and Paul Chitwood will give leadership to Send Relief, while Josh Benton with NAMB and Jason Cox with IMB will be overseeing the team members from each mission board,” the spokesperson said. ”Having the mission board presidents take a more active role in leading sends the clear signal that Send Relief is here to stay and is a top priority for NAMB, IMB, and Southern Baptists. From the start, Bryant planned to serve for 5 years in this role, and we are grateful for all the advancements he helped Send Relief make during that time.”
Back in 2020 Ezell described the organizational structure of Send Relief “like a bow tie.” “The Send Relief president is the knot while Paul is at the top of one corner and I’m at the top of the other corner, and the vice presidents are at the bottom corners,” Ezell explained.
USAID connection
As Send Relief receives a wardrobe update and no longer sports the “bow tie” look, it now faces questions related to funds it received through World Relief in 2024 — funds that originated from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
A self-described watchdog-type group (Center for Baptist Leadership), which is supported by American Reformer and focuses its efforts on the Southern Baptist Convention, released documents stating Send Relief received $70,000. Those funds were allegedly used to assist in refugee resettlement efforts, and CBL is expressing concerns about Send Relief using the funds.
“The cooperative agreement included the refugee resettlement NGO World Relief as the primary contractor,” CBL stated in its report and suggests the funds come with some type of compromise.
A Send Relief spokesperson responded to The Alabama Baptist’s request for clarification regarding the funds.
“We would never accept any assistance that would require us to compromise our faith and ministry in any way,” the spokesperson said.
“There are times, in relief settings, when we collaborate with other non-governmental organizations that have received government grants. Sometimes those organizations provide food, funding or other material goods that we utilize for our response. Because of our partnership with more than 47,000 churches, Southern Baptists’ generosity and gifts from thousands of private donors, Send Relief is not dependent on government funding.”
Send Relief’s annual report shows that more than $43 million in donations came to the ministry in 2023. The 2024 financial reports had not been released at press time.
Thinking through the issue
It has been reported throughout the past five years that Send Relief was set up to be able to receive funding from a variety of sources such as the government as long as no restrictions came with the funds.
It’s similar to how Southern Baptist Disaster Relief partners with FEMA (not directly but potentially by way of various partners working together), and how Samaritan’s Purse receives USAID funds. The money is distributed to trusted groups who can assist with needed humanitarian efforts, especially in crises, the Send Relief spokesperson explained.
Ministrywatch.com reported in early February that USAID funds for Samaritan’s Purse were not part of the money recently frozen while USAID is being investigated.
The ministry organization run by Franklin Graham has reportedly received more than $90 million in USAID during the past four years, according to ministrywatch.com, quoting research by brookings.edu.
If this report is accurate and Graham has deemed the acceptance of humanitarian-related funds connected to the U.S. government as acceptable and not a compromise of their faith-based mission, then logic would indicate other faith-based groups, such as Send Relief, would be granted the same courtesy.
The Alabama Baptist has not reached out to USAID nor World Relief for comment, and Send Relief officials chose not to comment on any of the specifics related to the reports connected to World Relief.
However, Trevin Wax, NAMB’s vice president of resources and marketing, provides a general explanation in a first-person column released earlier today (Feb. 14).
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was updated Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. to clarify that Southern Baptist Disaster Relief does not receive funds from FEMA directly, while it is possible that some federal dollars could be included in the funds from various other groups partnering with SBDR. Still, no restrictions are tied to the partnerships. They are independent groups working together in a crisis to help people in need, and the SBDR efforts include prayer, sharing the gospel, providing Bibles and taking time to listen and talk with those affected.
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