Following the lead of many other Americans, New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary students have taken steps to aid disaster relief efforts
in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on this country.
But the efforts have not been limited only to this country
and its needs.
Following the lead of many other Americans, New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary students have taken steps to aid disaster relief efforts
in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on this country.
But the efforts have not been limited only to this country
and its needs.
In one instance, students at the seminarys North Georgia
campus raised $1,000 to be used in disaster relief efforts in New York City.
Students raised the money by using a firemans hat as an offering plate.
The hat was passed around in each class at the North Georgia
campus and at chapel services. The money then was forwarded to the Georgia Baptist
Convention to be used in relief efforts in New York City.
“It was important that each person actually touch the
firemans hat,” said Jason Young, student body president of the North
Georgia campus. The hat belonged to Phil Thomas, another student who recently
retired at the rank of captain after 26 years as a fireman in Fulton County,
Ga.
Thomas said he remembers sitting for two days watching the
news coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks. Even though he had years of training
and experience in firefighting and emergency medical response, he said he knew
that only Jesus could be counted on during crises.
“You never know what is going to happen from minute to
minute,” he noted. “All the years of experience wont help you
out of a bind. The only thing that you can count on is Jesus Christ.”
Meanwhile, on the seminarys main campus in New Orleans,
students in spiritual formation classes raised money and collected coats for
homeless children affected by the conflict in Afghanistan.
“The coats are an attempt to help children cope with the
cold, harsh reality of war,” said Perry Hancock, the associate professor
of discipleship who organized the campus effort.
The project was a partnership between the students, First Baptist
Church of Kenner and Children2Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
international relief.
Hancock noted that winter temperatures in the Afghanistan region
can drop to 24 degrees below zero. Because of the war, most of the Afghan children
are now homeless or are in refugee camps, he said.
“This is a Matthew 25 ministry,” Hancock said, referring
to the Bible passage that identifies Christians who have joyfully given to help
those in hunger, thirst or in need of clothing.
“It is a great opportunity not only to share the gospel
but to show the gospel … through love, care and a positive witness,”
he said, pointing out that many of the children were forced from their homes
without having the time to take needed clothing.
Student Shawn Justice agreed.”We saw the childrens
need for warm coats and responded directly to that need,” he said. “As
a Christian, you just naturally want to help in any way that you can.”
Currently serving as minister of missions at First Baptist
Church of New Orleans, Justice has the opportunity to work with needy children
on an ongoing basis. Indeed, he ministers weekly at a New Orleans
inner-city housing development where he works with impoverished children, many
of whom have only one parent.
The father of two small children, Justice said he knows what
it is like to reach out to children and to see their faces light up when someone
shows them love.
“The children in Afghanistan are no different from my children or the
children at the Florida Housing Development,” he said. “They all need
love and warmth.” (BP)