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Press Release
Office of the President
of the
Southern Baptist Convention
SBC President Bobby Welch expresses concern for the churches victimized
by arson in Alabama
NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 3, 2006—Dr.
Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention,
expressed his concerns for the Alabama churches victimized
by arson.
“I am overwhelmed with concern and tremendously burdened
for the pastors and members of the churches as well as the communities
in which they have carried out Christ-centered ministries throughout
all these past years. Dr. Rick Lance, the Alabama Baptist State
Convention Executive Director, has told me that the immediate
response is to give all the help possible to the persons and
the four Southern Baptist Churches stricken by these disastrous
fires,” Welch said.
“This is one of the many critical times when I am so, so
thankful and proud of our SBC churches that give through the
Cooperative Program to help in circumstances like these. We always
do better ‘together’ and the Cooperative Program
certainly proves that in times like these.
“The earliest I can get to Alabama
is Friday night, and I have coordinated with Dr. Lance and
the Bibb Baptist Association Director of Missions, Steve
Patrick, to visit with the pastors and people on Saturday.
I will then return to preach Sunday morning at FBC Daytona.
“My understanding is the greatest,
immediate need is for three mobile chapel units. I'm told
their approximate cost is $65,000 each. The Alabama Baptist
Convention has already been hit hard for disaster relief
due to hurricane Katrina. My personal prayer is that some
businesses or persons will contact the Alabama State Convention
with some help for these extraordinarily disastrous needs.
Dr. Lance and Alabama Baptists have already responded quickly
and are preparing to respond more.
“While the immediate relief is ‘disaster relief,’ it
goes without saying that it is more than obvious that all the
church fires occurred within a curious time frame.
“Without fail, the more-than 16,200,000
Southern Baptists and their 43,000 churches in North America
are urgently concerned for these sister churches and I intend
to be present there to help express that deep concern.”
The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s
largest non-Catholic fellowship of churches with more than
16.2 million members in nearly 43,500 churches nationwide.
The Executive Committee is the administrative entity responsible
for facilitating the ongoing work of the Convention between
annual meetings with offices in Nashville, Tennessee.
- END -
For media inquiries or to request
an interview
contact Roger S. "Sing" Oldham, Vice President for Convention Relations
at (615) 782-8610,
or by e-mail at soldham@sbc.net
Visit our Web site at www.sbc.net
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