August 26, 2009

VALLEY FORGE, PA – Thirty-eight 2009 grants have been awarded by the ABCUSA Burma Refugee Task Force to American Baptists working with Burmese refugees in the United States. The 2008 grants totaled 31. These grants are supported by ABCUSA's Mission Initiative Fund and One Great Hour of Sharing funds from National Ministries.

Grants are utilized for a variety of purposes. Most commonly, they support transportation that enables refugees to go to church, work, appointments and job interviews. Grants have been used to help new arrivals participate in drivers' education.

The funds also support staff positions such as outreach coordinators and interpreters, along with general programs that assist with emergency needs, welcome baskets and initial settlement costs. Grants also fund programs that send children to church camp, help people find jobs, participate in job skill and life skill training, and more.

Thirteen of the 2009 grants support work in new locations. The grant program will continue into 2010, the final year of the award from the Mission Initiative Fund. The Burma Refugees Task Force hopes to expand the scope and number of projects even more next year.

"The grants became vision vehicles for congregational transformation that capture mission on the doorstep in a challenging time," says the Rev. Florence Li, National Ministries' Asian churches strategist.

Duane Binkley, a Burma Refugee Task Force member and missionary dually-aligned with International Ministries and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, says, "The real value of these grants also says ‘welcome' to these new Americans while strengthening the relationship between the denomination as a whole, the new refugee congregations, and the churches and people helping them."

The Burma Refugee Task Force is a cooperative effort of National Ministries, International Ministries, the Office of the General Secretary, and American Baptist Women's Ministries, along with leadership from Karen, Chin and Kachin pastors as well as lay leaders of American Baptist churches serving refugee populations.

For more information about Burmese refugees and related ministries:

• Visit http://www.karenkonnection.org;

• Contact Florence Li at 1-800-222-3872, x2468, or Florence.Li@abc-usa.org;

• Contact Duane Binkley at 330-699-4174 or dmbink@pobox.com.

For information about sponsorship of refugee resettlement:

• Contact Ken George at 1-800-222-3872, x2034, or Ken.george@abc-usa.org;

• Contact Diane Giova at 1-800-222-3872, x2450, or Diane.Giova@abc-usa.org.

American Baptist Churches News Service