A Chaplain’s Testimony About Disaster Relief Ministry
September 2011
Kansas-Nebraska chaplains are assisting the Incident Command team by taking requests for assistance from homeowners. Thurman Oliver shared some of his experiences in this ministry:
“I came to Minot, N.D., as a chaplain with a mass-feeding team from Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists to minister to people suffering from the floods of 2011.
‘I was assigned away from the KS-NE team to accept applications for mud-out assistance from those who had lost much in the disaster. Very quickly this became a ministering opportunity. People first told me of their loss. I looked to see their facial and emotional reaction and response. I listened to their attitudes, i.e., anger, sadness, accusing, inner strengths.
“When I made a reference to God, did their response suggest a real relationship to Jesus Christ or not? Of course they came for ‘mud-out’ help from us, so this process was explained and the path that we will take with them to rid their homes of flood damage.
“In as much detail as possible I gave them this information. Coming from what I perceived as their relationship with Jesus Christ, I explored their faith as much as they would allow. I wanted them to be certain that I was not trying to convert them to be Baptists but to reinforce their existing Christian faith or, if no faith, to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. I shared the tract ‘Hope in Crisis’ with them.
“After thanking them for letting us help them, I prayed with them (if they would let me) and wished them a blessed day.”
Subscribe to Updates