The Weekly is a rundown of news by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission highlighting the week’s top news stories from the public square and providing commentary on the big issues of our day.

5 Facts About Southern Baptist Disaster Relief

After Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, thousands of Southern Baptists mobilized to help the victims in Texas and Florida. Here are five facts you should know about one of the largest—but least known—disaster relief organizations in America:

1. Disaster relief efforts by Southern Baptist began in 1968 when Texas Baptists assisted victims of Hurricane Beulah. At that time the Brotherhood Commission, along with state Baptist Brotherhood leadership, took the lead in organizing Southern Baptists to respond to disasters, by creating the coordinating agency for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) and hiring the first national disaster relief director. The turning point for SBDR came in 1989 when Southern Baptists responded to Hurricane Hugo. Since that time, SBDR has grown to become the third largest disaster relief organization in the country, behind only the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

2. Today, SBDR units are owned and operated by state conventions, local associations and churches, and are coordinated nationally by the North American Mission Board (NAMB). One of the specific missions of NAMB is to assist churches in relief ministries to victims of disaster and other people in need. NAMB provides appropriate assistance and coordination in service to state Baptist conventions, when multi-state and national disaster responses are needed and coordinates with federal government as well as national disaster relief entities to ensure good response coordination on behalf of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Nearly 95,000 Baptists across the country are currently trained to handle disasters.

3. Although SBDR works alongside federal agencies like FEMA, it does not accept any federal funding or reimbursement. Funding comes directly from churches, mostly by funding that is passed through state conventions and the SBC’s Cooperative Program (CP). For example, in 2016 NAMB received $1,378,558 in designated giving to the disaster relief program from the CP. Millions more was provided directly to such efforts from local church and state conventions.

4. In 2015 (the last year for which data is available) SBC Disaster Relief efforts included 208 temporary roof/repair jobs, 215 professions of faith, 756 chainsaw jobs, 1,232 flood recovery jobs, 1,325 presentations of the gospel, 2,549 children cared for, 4,129 loads of laundry for disaster victims, 5,158 chaplaincy contacts, 11,352 ministry contacts, 17,596 showers provided for disaster victims, 22,271 volunteer days, and 126,160 meals prepared.

5. The NAMB website offers numerous ways to help you and your church prepare for natural disasters, including developing a Church Preparedness Plan, helping your church families develop a Family Preparedness Plan, preparing Emergency Survival Kits, and hosting Disaster Relief training for International Disaster Response. You can also directly volunteer for Disaster Relief by contacting your state Baptist convention Disaster Relief office.

This week on ERLC podcasts: Daniel Darling talks to Gabe Lyons, founder of Q Forum, about Christianity in a secular society. And on the ERLC podcast, Dr. Robert George discusses the connection between the cause of life, poverty, and family disintegration.

Other Issues

American Culture

Faith groups provide the bulk of disaster recovery, in coordination with FEMA
Paul Singer, USA Today

If you donate bottles of water, diapers, clothing or any other materials to hurricane victims in Texas or Florida, your donation will likely pass through the hands of the Seventh Day Adventists before it gets to a storm victim.

Trump, Democrats confirm outline of DACA deal, despite denials
Burgess Everett, Josh Dawsey, Rachael Bade, and Louis Nelson, Politico

Pelosi and Schumer said Trump agreed not to demand wall funding as part of an agreement to shield Dreamers.

Atheists Are Nicer to Christians Than Christians Are to Atheists, Says New Study
Paul Ratner, Big Think

A new study by psychologists at Ohio University found that atheists are nicer to Christians than the other way around. The study, however, discovered a potential caveat in why the atheists are nice - they may be kinder to make up for the popularly-held stereotype that atheists are immoral.

Bioethics

The Contagion of Euthanasia and the Corruption of Compassion
Arthur Goldberg and Shimon Cowen, Public Discourse

The contagion of assisted suicide, once the command “Thou shalt not kill” is set aside, quickly spreads elsewhere. True compassion does not abandon people at their most vulnerable.

Christianity and Culture

How Many Churches Does America Have? More Than Expected
Rebecca Randall, Christianity Today

Best estimate yet of US congregations finds rise of the ‘nons’ has more impact than rise of the ‘nones.’

Will Trump Direct FEMA to Fund Churches Hit by Hurricanes?
Emma Green, The Atlantic

The president weighs in on a long-standing debate over using public money to support religious organizations.

Should Evangelicals Support Trump’s North Korea Travel Ban?
Moses Y. Lee, Providence

Though the State Department’s new travel ban to North Korea pertains to only tourism, this recent policy shift once again raises questions regarding evangelical humanitarian work in the reclusive country.

Family Issues

Five Facts About Families and Poverty
Alysse ElHage, Institute for Family Studies

The percentage of all children in poverty dropped from 19.7% in 2015 to 18.0% in 2016.

International Issues

Can We Stop an International Roe v. Wade?
Stefano Gennarini, Public Discourse

We must act now to protect unborn children not just at home, but around the world.

Saudi Arabia’s Neighbor Defends Religious Freedom of Individuals
Jayson Casper, Christianity Today

Arab Christian leaders react to Bahrain Declaration, which builds upon Marrakesh and Jakarta efforts by Muslim leaders.

In Irma-shattered Caribbean, Baptists arrive to help
Diana Chandler, Baptist Press

Days after Hurricane Irma killed at least 34 people and destroyed entire communities in the Caribbean and West Indies, Southern Baptist partners are on site assessing the most urgent needs for assistance.

Aid workers see humanitarian crisis as Rohingya flee to Bangladesh
Catholic News Service

The U.N. Refugee Agency reports at least 300,000 Rohingya Muslims entered Bangladesh within two weeks of a military crackdown in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, triggered by an August 25 Rohingya militant attack on security checkpoints.

Religious Liberty

Religious Tests for Public Office Are Unacceptable. Period.
Sen. Mike Lee, The Daily Signal

The language the Framers inserted into the Constitution was unequivocal: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” When the Founders wrote “ever,” they meant it.

Farmers Banned From Farmers Market Over Religious Beliefs Get Their Day in Court
Kelsey Harkness, The Daily Signal

The case of a Michigan city that banned family farmers from selling their goods at a local farmers market due to their religious beliefs about marriage headed to court Wednesday, where lawyers from both sides argued before a federal district judge.

In Response To Attacks, New Florida Law Aims To Protect Religious Expression In Public Schools
Ashley Bateman, The Federalist

The state's landmark legislation aims to protect religious expression, even as we see a national decrease in religious freedoms in public education.