Relief efforts continue in India

For BIC churches in India, the word “urgent” has a longer-term meaning than most North Americans understand. In the month since we first alerted Momentum readers to devastating flooding in South Asia, including in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal, the Indian church as provided first-response aid in the form of food and basic supplies to displaced families.

Bijoy Roul, BICWM coordinator for South Asia, reports with great appreciation that the initial $10,000 provided through the World Hunger Fund has enabled the Indian churches to assist 800 families with distributions of rice, puffed rice, lentils, sugar, and other supplies. He adds that the church’s supervisors will distribute aid to another 200 families during the month ahead.

Now as cholera and other waterborne diseases pose new problems for flood victims, relief efforts will expand to address longer term challenges such as rebuilding homes and restoring village infrastructures. In an email message dated September 2, Bijoy wrote:

“In many places cholera has spread and people are dying. One of our believers from Rayagada District died because of cholera. We need to supply medicine, safe drinking water, and other aid to flood victims. We may have to distribute aid through the help of government officers. The need is great but we will try to provide aid as per the funds available to us.

If we have enough funds, it will be better if we help people to renovate their broken homes. After receiving the funds, we will decide in the board what kind of aid will be helpful to the flood victims.”

BIC churches in India are committed to the relief effort for the long haul and they are looking to their North American brothers and sisters to stick with them. We praise God for early gifts that already have come in response to our initial appeal to North American churches, including $28,400 from the Elizabethtown (Pa.) BIC Church, $9,400* from the Canadian Conference, and about $2,500 in online gifts from individuals. These funds will be forwarded to India later this week. At the same time, we pray for even greater generosity from our churches. In Bijoy’s words, “It is hard to provide aid to a few people when so many people are affected.”

Hearts in Elizabethtown Opened to India

Some might call it coincidence that the BIC website featured a story on the Indian floods just as the pastoral team at the Elizabethtown BIC church was planning the August 19 worship service. But Interim Lead Pastor Eugene Wingert wouldn’t call it that.

“The message from BIC churches in India to BIC churches in North America provided an opportunity for immediate response to the sermon based on the Luke 9 account of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. Five thousand people fed and 5,000 families targeted for aid by BIC churches in India. Think about it,” Gene commented.

The church staff started the ball rolling with their own commitments for India, and then took the fundraising challenge to the congregation, inviting “every family to save a family” with a gift of $50. The result: an amazing $18,400 from the initial appeal. In the weeks since, giving by the Elizabethtown congregation has grown by over $12,000 as hearts have opened to India.

In a personal message to other BIC pastors, Greg Starr, pastor for compassion ministries, noted that “for many families in our congregation, and perhaps in yours, this isn’t even so much about sacrificial giving as it is reallocation of discretionary money. For others it truly is a sacrificial gift.” As illustrated by the following messages of congregational members, for all, it is about joyful generosity.

“This announcement came at a time that I was wondering how to best get money to some of the various parts of the world where people are suffering because of the consequences of natural disasters brought on by neglect and ignorance on the part of we humans. This opportunity has answered that desire and I appreciate it.”

“When I was a child we often had little to eat. Even then, sometimes I was fussy and would refuse God’s provision. My father would tell me it was wrong to waste because people were starving in India. In my ungratefulness I would snap back, ‘Well, then sent this portion I don’t want to them.’ On Sunday, our pastor made us aware of a cry from our brothers and sisters in India for prayer and desperately needed financial support for food, medicine, and supplies. Our family of Jesus there has lost everything. They await God’s provision sent through us. In the teaching on Sunday, Jesus took what the disciples gave for the multitudes and multiplied it so that after the hunger was met, there were still twelve baskets full left over. ‘He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the Lord; and that which he has given, He will repay again’ (Proverbs 19:17). How blessed with abundance we are. How great is our God.”

Gifts by U.S. donors can be made online by credit card at www.bic-church.org or by writing a check to “BIC General Conference Ministries” and sending it to BIC Church Offices, 431 Grantham Road, P. O. Box A, Grantham, PA 17027-0290. Please specify “World Hunger Fund – South Asia Floods” in the memo line.
Canadian donors should send checks made out to the “BIC Canadian Conference” directly to the Canadian Conference of the BIC Church, 2700 Bristol Circle, Oakville, ON L6H 6E1. Please specify “World Hunger Fund – South Asia Floods.”

Resources for presenting the India challenge to congregations are available on the denomination’s website.

*The funds from the Canadian Conference will be split with $5,000 for Orissa and $4,400 for the Bihar area.

« back to the September 2007 Momentum

WELCOME