Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) is a hands-on ministry provided by trained members of local churches to those affected by disasters of every kind. Our mission is to represent Jesus by bringing His help, healing, and hope to individuals and communities beset by the crisis, chaos, and confusion of natural and man-made calamity.
Disaster Relief mobilizes individuals and churches, along with their resources, to serve victims of disaster and share hope, help and Christ with them. Our Pennsylvania/South Jersey DR chapter is strong and active, with trained volunteers from every region of the BRN and immediate response experience that includes front-line ministry in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other states.
Our ministry units include a feeding unit, a shower/laundry unit, several clean-up and recovery units, and a command and communications unit.
We currently have 65,000 trained volunteers in North America. There are very few days of the year, if any, when Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is not active somewhere in the country and around the world. Our ministries include mass feeding, flood, wind, and fire event clean-up, emotional and spiritual care, residential and church rebuild, water purification, and more. This ministry is supported financially by Southern Baptist churches and the highly motivated volunteers who come from those churches. The services provided by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief are an offering to God without charge to or discrimination against those who need them.
Why Train?
- Because the Bible tells you to be prepared to minister
- Because training is preparation
- Because that’s what people who strive for excellence do
- Because training keeps you sharp
- Because our Disaster Relief partners depend on you staying sharp
- Because training keeps you connected
- Because training strengthens your integrity
Please note that you must be 18 years old or older to train as a DR volunteer
The Baptist Resource Network is happy to assist churches in providing guidance in the following areas:
- Chaplaincy
- Communications and Radio
- Damage Assessment and Recovery Administration
- Evangelism
- Long-Term Rebuilding
- Mass Care Feeding
- Ready Church
- Recovery Operations: Chainsaw
- Recovery Operations: Emergency Repairs
- Recovery Operations: Flood Recovery
- Showers and Laundry
- Disaster Preparedness
- Spiritual needs
“[B]e ready for every good deed…Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:1b, 14).