May 22, 2008

VALLEY FORGE, PA – Baptists in Burma were among those hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country on May 2 and 3, packing winds of over 120 miles per hour and causing widespread flooding.

American Baptists have been urged to pray for the situation in Burma, now called Myanmar by its ruling military junta, by ABCUSA General Secretary, Rev. A. Roy Medley. "In the wake of the continuing tragedy in Burma, I am asking that American Baptist congregations remember the churches and people of Burma in prayer on the Sunday before Memorial Day, May 25th. The loss of life is tragic as well as the delay in the receipt of aid. Let us pray for all in need and for those who govern them."

The Myanmar Baptist Convention (MBC) lost more than 10,000 members who died as a result of the cyclone. More than 94,000 other members have suffered loss of home and other property. Many church buildings were destroyed, and the headquarters of the MBC was badly damaged. The estimated cost of repairing the headquarters building is $100,000. The MBC, a national umbrella organization for many regional and ethnic conventions, is a partner of American Baptist International Ministries.

A leader of the MBC, whose family narrowly escaped death and injury when a tree fell on their home during the storm, reported to the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) that Burmese Baptists have put plans in place to assist those affected by the natural disaster by creating the Nargis Relief and Rehabilitation Central Committee. Represented on the committee are the regions hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis.

This same leader informed the BWA that "at present the basic needs of the people are foodstuffs, clothes and tents or construction materials," but stated that "it is advised to assist in cash instead of in kind."

A search, rescue and relief team of BWAid, the relief and development arm of the BWA, has opened an office in the damaged MBC building in Yangon, the largest city in the Southeast Asian country. The team is working through MBC and the Karen Baptist Convention, one of MBC's smaller conventions, to offer aid to six camps where internally displaced persons (IDPs) are housed.

The team reported that "the assistance is literally saving lives at this point, with situations of widespread diarrhea, and serious electricity and water shortages." They went on to say that "the IDPs are desperately seeking shelter; the more fortunate get plastic sheeting while others are trying to fabricate huts from palm trees and bamboo."

Reporting that the total death toll is now estimated at 134,000, they said, "Cyclone Nargis destroyed the greatest rice productive fields and the animals used in agricultural work, leaving thousands with no hope for food for the next year." Furthermore, fishing, a major source of food, is not being done, "due to the fact that the masses of dead bodies could not be buried, local officials had to throw them into the rivers... Locals refuse to continue fishery from the contaminated water."

American Baptists will be releasing $25,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing funds for Cyclone Nargis relief and an additional $1055 has been received from individual donors within the denomination. Those wishing to support these efforts can do so through their church's monthly report of mission support, designating contributions "OGHS-Cyclone." For online contributions, click on the Give menu button at the http://www.abc-usa.org/ web site or click here: https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/donatelinq4/default.aspx?MerchantID=ABChurches. Remember to type in "OGHS-Cyclone" in the Comments field of the form.

American Baptist Churches USA