The article below is reproduced with permission from the Anglican Relief and Development Fund blog. ARDF is a partner organization of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.
There is not a region of the globe without a confirmed case of COVID-19. The local church has the burden - and the opportunity - to serve desperate communities in these times.
“And The King Will Answer Them, ‘Truly, I Say To You, As You Did It To One Of The Least Of These My Brothers, You Did It To Me.’ ” - Matthew 25:40
The coronavirus pandemic has encompassed the globe. The problems are immense and will take experienced leaders. So how can we help?
At the Anglican Relief and Development Fund, we are familiar with disaster relief. Relief is in our name! We are proud of our partners, the local churches, that reach out to love their neighbors in the name of Jesus. They do so in the midst of tragedy through practical help.
The coronavirus pandemic certainly looks different from the usual ARDF disaster relief campaign! This is not a “typical” disaster - a hurricane or tornado that rolls through and devastates one community, island, or town. No, this disaster is rolling out like a slow-moving tsunami, all over the globe. Leaving no part untouched, this crisis is causing the most difficult disruption to our lives that we have likely ever known.
However, we have hope in Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are His children and we will respond to this crisis by being His hands and feet with trust and confidence.
ARDF works through local church leaders who go out into their own communities to bring loving assistance. We are hearing testimonies of how local churches are creatively reaching out in this time of need to their congregations, schools, and neighbors. But they need more funds to continue. We can help them.
ARDF is doing all we can to assist church leaders with this unprecedented disaster. Now, we need your help. Act boldly without fear and with the trust that you will receive far more than you give. Donate today for victims everywhere.
We are the Anglican Church in Action.
Local funds will be administered by The Matthew 25 Initiative. International funds will be distributed to local churches overseas, on the advice of our trusted partners. We are grateful for our relationships with churches all over the world, built up over the past 16 years of our existence.
If you are a church leader who has a plan to help your community, we’d love to hear about it! Contact us to learn how you can request funds from ARDF.
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
–Philippians 1:9-11