ATLANTA – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s response to the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is underway through CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James and in coordination with CBF partner organizations.

The Jameses, CBF field personnel co-appointed with International Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA, have served in Haiti for years as health care professionals. From Jan. 16-23, Steve, a physician, treated survivors at Haiti Health Ministries’ Christianville Clinic, less than four miles from the quake’s epicenter.

"So many have lost so much," Steve wrote in an e-mail update. "Yet only in the wisdom of God and the love of Jesus can glimpses of meaning be found in the midst of all this suffering."

As of Jan. 21, more than $49,600 has been contributed to the Fellowship’s Haiti response effort. These funds will be used for the Fellowship’s developing response, which could include responding to long-term needs ranging from sanitation and clean water to medical care and rebuilding homes. Scott Hunter, who formerly served as one of CBF’s field personnel in Asia, has arrived in Haiti for a three-month assignment to help the Jameses develop and coordinate CBF’s response. Previously, Hunter coordinated the Sri Lankan portion of the Fellowship’s response to the 2003 Asian tsunami.

In Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas medical supplies are still needed, and the Jameses have provided a list of the most needed items. Individuals and churches are encouraged to download this list from the Fellowship’s web site at www.thefellowship.info/haiti and ship donated supplies to North Stuart Baptist Church, a CBF partner congregation in Stuart, Fla. Supplies are being sorted, re-packaged and transported to nearby Fort Pierce, where they will be flown into Haiti by Missionary Flights International.

CBF partners such as Conscience International have also been responding in Haiti. In addition to sending medical supplies, Conscience International sent a three-person medical team to treat earthquake survivors Jan. 16-21 in Port-au-Prince. Also, Fellowship-partner the Baptist World Alliance through its relief arm, Baptist World Aid, sent its Rescue 24 team to provide emergency medical services.

To give to the relief effort, visit the Fellowship’s donate page, https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate.aspx?fund=17015 or send your check to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, indicating fund No. 17015 "Haiti Response." Under newly-passed legislation, donations to Haiti response made between Jan. 12 and Feb. 28 will be eligible for deduction on 2009 taxes.

Updates about the Fellowship’s response and recovery efforts will be posted at its blog, www.thefellowship.info/blog.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.