In 2004, Men in Missions groups from northern Kentucky and southern Indiana, along with volunteer groups from a five-state area, helped construct a new church, Cedar Street G/B, in Marengo, Indiana, after it was totally destroyed by a tornado.

   
A group of Men in Missions men and a spouse went to Gulfport, Mississippi, in 2005 to help the Free Will Baptist Masters Men repair a Free Will Baptist church heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina.  Four weeks later, another group arrived in Vidor, Texas, to help with cleanup efforts after Hurricane Rita.  All this ministry was made possible by the generous donations of General Baptist churches around the denomination.

   
The evening of Nov. 5, 2005, a devastating tornado swept through southern Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties in southern Indiana, killing 24 and leaving a path of destruction like many in that area had never seen.  Through an organized effort with many others, Main Street General Baptist Church in Boonville, Indiana, opened a shelter to help the relief efforts.

   
As a result of this disaster the Men in Missions groups from Tennyson, Mt. Gilead, and South Friendship General Baptist Churches in southern Indiana held a fund-raiser for one of the local churches, Bakers Chapel, which was totally destroyed.  Thousands of dollars were raised for the church’s rebuilding efforts.  Since then, the Tennyson Men in Missions group has pledged to hold a large fund-raiser every year to help a needy cause.

   
Many other churches in the area have pitched in to help in this cause, including Bakers Chapel.  Funds were raised to help put a roof on a local church, to help with the financial stress of a single mother in the Tennyson area who had cancer, and to help the Studio-B Youth Center.  Just this past April the churches had a fundraiser to help the local Warrick County Red Cross, whose funds had depleted to nearly nothing.

   
Three General Baptist churches in Arkansas and Missouri were destroyed by tornadoes in April 2006.  Men in Missions groups, along with local volunteers, began a rebuilding project that produced one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen.

   
There have been other projects in Florida and Tennessee where General Baptist men have come together to do construction projects at General Baptist church plants.

   
The Florissant G/B Church Men in Missions group from Missouri helped in the reconstruction of the Community Fellowship Church in South Pekin, Illinois, when its roof collapsed during initial construction; and the men at First G/B Church in Kennett, Missouri, did a great job doing work at Camp Allen in Greenville, Missouri.

   
So if you are wondering if this “silent ministry” is still alive, yes it is.  You don’t hear a lot about the work and you don’t read a lot about what the Men in Missions groups have done; but there is lots of evidence that this so-called “silent ministry” is reaping results.

   
I stepped down as the Men in Missions director in 2007 because God called me to pastor South Friendship G/B Church in Boonville, Indiana; but this ministry has continued to work and make a difference thanks to the members of the Men in Missions board, who have kept it going.

   
Pray with those in Men in Missions groups and members of the Men in Missions board that God will send someone to lead this ministry into the future.