American Baptist Churches Continues to Support Puerto Rico with Transfer of Additional OGHS Funds

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/11/17)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) continued its commitment to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico on Monday by transferring One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) Emergency Disaster-relief funds, on behalf of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA), to the following entities on the island:

$25,000 to the ABCUSA region Iglesias Bautista de Puerto Rico;
$7,500 to Corporación Milagros del Amor, a Christian center partner of ABHMS in Caguas;
$5,000 to the seminary Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico;
$19,000 total to the schools of Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico (Colegio Bautista de Juncos, Academia Bautista de Yauco, Academia Bautista Sotera Sánchez, Colegio Bautista de Bethel, Colegio Bautista de Caguas, Colegio Bautista de Carolina, Colegio Bautista de Gurabo and Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo);
$2,000 to Primera Iglesia Bautista de Carolina to support counseling for hurricane survivors through the church’s FASES program; and
$2,000 to Radio VIDA, Primera Iglesia Bautista de Carolina’s Christian radio ministry, for restoration of the antenna.

These transfers follow a recent visit to Puerto Rico, in which ABHMS staff members met with partners to develop Phase II of ABHMS’ multi-year “Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico” initiative. ABHMS announced in September that it will raise $1 million for Puerto Rico recovery. Volunteer work projects are expected to begin in late January 2018.

In October, ABHMS transferred $10,000 in OGHS funds, which was used to purchase food on the island. In addition, ABHMS has been hand-delivering and shipping a variety of necessary supplies to the island.

To view a video in which ABHMS Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Haggray discusses Puerto Rico’s needs, visit abhms.org, click “Rebuilding, Renewing, Restoring Puerto Rico” in the slideshow, and then scroll down to the “Videos” portion of the page.

Donations to OGHS for Puerto Rico’s restoration may be made via your church; by visiting www.abc-usa.org and clicking “Give Online” at the top right of the page. In the “Comments” section, type “OGHS-Puerto Rico”; or via a check designated to “OGHS-Puerto Rico” and mailed to the attention of Kim Wilkins at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA, 19482-0851.

One hundred percent of donations go to relief efforts; no dollars are retained for administrative costs. To ensure that your church receives credit for your gift, write the church name on your check or, if giving online, in the “comment” box.

One Great Hour of Sharing is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and development assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.