A Strong Partnership: The Salvation Army & The Southern Baptists

Jackson, MS (February 24, 2014) - While the partnership between the disaster relief departments of The Salvation Army and the Southern Baptists has been in place for some time; it continues to get stronger each day.  As the two organizations have grown and taken on more responsibilities in the disaster field, it has become clear that a more official agreement between the ALM division and the three separate Baptist state conferences is needed. 

This new MOU covers the partnership during the work of both organizations during a major disaster.  In large disaster events, “people” are often the most valuable commodity.  According to the ALM Emergency Disaster Services Director, Thad Hicks, “The Southern Baptist churches hold scores of trained and capable disaster workers.  The Salvation Army has lots of resources, but often lacks volunteers.”  The partnership is a perfect marriage between the two groups.  The ALM Emergency Disaster Service Dept. could not do what they do during large scale events without the Baptists.”  The missions of both The Salvation Army and The Southern Baptists call for showing people the love of Christ through service during a disaster.  Hicks added, “Our mission statement, and the statement of the Baptists look like they could have been written by the same person.”

This past weekend, The Louisiana Baptists hosted a training workshop for their disaster volunteers.  The Salvation Army sent over their mobile field kitchen.  This 52 foot mobile feeding unit is designed specifically for major emergencies, and has the potential of pushing out 10,000 meals per day.  Part of the new partnership calls for the Baptists to operate this unit for The Salvation Army during the event.  Bill Feist, the ALM’s Interagency Liaison stated, “If we are going to ask them to partner with us during a disaster we want to make sure they are comfortable on the unit and get some practice on it.“

The resources of the ALM division have been made available to the other partner Baptist Conferences.  A similar event will be held next month in Mississippi.