KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (ABNS 2/20/25)—In response to devastating floods that have inundated Kentucky, West Virginia, and other parts of the Ohio River Valley, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has launched a One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) appeal to raise much-needed funds to aid victims of this natural disaster. To date, 14 lives have been lost, an untold number remain missing, and thousands have been displaced from their homes, according to officials.

The Rev. Lisa Harris Lee, director Healing & Transforming Communities at ABHMS, advised that ABHMS staff are communicating with American Baptist Churches of Indiana/Kentucky and other ecumenical colleagues to express concern and begin response coordination. “Those who are impacted need to see and feel the generosity of others as a sign of hope and a testimony that God’s love is endless,” she said.

This latest catastrophe striking Kentucky, which bore the worst flooding spawned by recent storms, comes only a few years after the state was battered by tornadoes and overwhelmed by floodwater in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Harris Lee stated that these disasters prompted OGHS appeals that elicited an outpouring of support. “OGHS funds were collected and distributed to aid ongoing rebuilding efforts,” she said, noting that the present disaster has affected a significantly greater geographic area.

How you can help now:

Please join American Baptists in supporting the relief efforts directed toward those affected by the recent storms and their aftermath across Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. One hundred percent of designated OGHS gifts are allocated to domestic disaster relief to address immediate needs and often long afterward as additional needs emerge. All your gifts will make a difference in the lives of people you may or may not know and show the love of God when and where it is needed most.

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 the distribution of the annual OGHS offering received by churches.

You can donate via your church or directly online here.

Checks designated to OGHS–2025 Kentucky Floods can be mailed to American Baptist Churches USA, 1015 W. 9th Ave. King of Prussia, PA 19406. If intended, donor checks should also include the name of the donor’s church and indicate “2025 Kentucky Floods” in the memo section of the check to ensure that the church receives credit for the gift.

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.