The Horn of Africa drought and famine is but the most recent crisis that brings the perennial need of world hunger starkly into view. Southern Baptists have been working to address human need, including hunger, as a major component of their evangelistic and missions strategies for many years.
Human needs ministries offer Southern Baptist missionaries overseas and across the United States, as well as local churches in the United States, the opportunity to love God and their neighbor by combining spiritual and physical assistance.
The Executive Committee distributes World Hunger Fund contributions to our two missions agencies, with eighty percent going to the International Mission Board and twenty percent going to the North American Mission Board. Because of Cooperative Program support for the IMB and NAMB, these two missions organizations are able to use every penny of World Hunger Fund contributions for hunger relief; there is no administrative cost deducted from contributions to the World Hunger Fund.
Over the past seven years, contributions to the World Hunger Fund have fallen by 25 percent, from more than six million dollars in 2004 to four and one half million dollars in 2011. May Southern Baptists respond from the overflow of their hearts to meet the sea of human need, whether across the street or around the world!
All human needs projects funded by the World Hunger Fund:
• Have an intentional spiritual strategy and share the Gospel.
• Have Southern Baptist personnel who are a part of the community or remain in contact with the community being served.
• Involve local input and expertise to help personnel assess needs and establish goals that make sense culturally, economically, and efficiently.
• Have accountability measures.
