Posted: 10/31/03
New Mexico disaster relief gets boost from Texas donation
By John Loudat
Baptist New Mexican
GLORIETA, N.M.–New Mexico Baptists' new disaster-relief ministry recently received a boost with the gift of a 24-foot trailer from Texas Baptist Men.
Baptists from across New Mexico have been involved in disaster-relief work for years, but a formal statewide disaster-relief program was not begun in the state until this year.
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| New Mexico disaster relief consultant Carl Russell (center) receives New Mexico's first trailer from Bill Piggott of Texas Baptist Men. Looking on is Martin Alletson, assistant general manager at Glorieta Conference Center. |
Pecos Valley Baptist Association, based in Artesia, has been an early leader in the ministry, responding to needs such as the Cerro Grande fire in Los Alamos and massive flooding along the Texas Gulf Coast.
In 2001, the association purchased new equipment for the ministry and remodeled a donated school bus as a portable feeding unit. Barely two years later, the retired school bus no longer could meet the need of the ministry.
New Mexico Baptists considered it an answer to prayer when they received a real disaster-relief trailer from Texas Baptists, who began the ministry of caring in times of need more than three decades ago.
Joseph Tillery, director of missions for Pecos Valley Association, estimated the association would have had to spend $12,000 to buy a trailer like the one it received. Instead, the association and the Baptist Convention of New Mexico each donated $1,000 toward helping the Texas group purchase a larger trailer it needs.
The exchange took place at LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center Oct. 17. Texas Baptist Men retiree builders officially presented the trailer to Carl Russell, Central Baptist Association's ministry evangelism coordinator and BCNM disaster-relief consultant. Forrest Dickerson, co-chairman of Pecos Valley's Mission Development Council, traveled to Glorieta from Carlsbad and pulled the trailer back to its new home in Southern New Mexico.
Only four days after the trailer was transferred, it was on site in Belen, halfway across the state from its new home, feeding dinner to messengers of the annual meeting of Central Baptist Association.
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