Thank you to all those in our American Baptist family who have wondered and inquired if Storm Ida impacted the national offices as it came through southeastern Pennsylvania on Wednesday, September 2. The ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary, American Baptist Extension Corporation, American Baptist Foundation, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS)/Judson Press, American Baptist Women’s Ministries, and International Ministries national offices are all located in Montgomery County, PA, which received multiple tornado watch/warning and flooding alerts as the storm came through. Early reports we have received indicate that no major damages have been sustained at any of our buildings and they remain operational. Regional Executive Ministers in the area, Frank Frischkorn of ABC of Pennsylvania and Delaware and James McJunkin of Philadelphia Baptist Association, are reaching out to their churches to understand the impact of the storm. We have received reports that some staff members have experienced flooding in their homes or immediate areas, and many neighborhoods continue to assess needs. ABC of New Jersey has also released a letter stating that they, too, are currently assessing needs across their region.

We ask for your continued prayers for all those impacted by the many extreme weather events of the past weeks. The ABCUSA World Relief Committee and ABHMS’ Volunteer Mobilization and Disaster Response team are working on all of our behalf and will share more information about relief channels for those impacted and for those wishing to offer support.