Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Gives New Life to Used Equipment through Donations

By John Heading, Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Director 

Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (OSBDR) uses an array of vehicles and equipment in its ministry to bring help, hope, and healing to those impacted by disasters. However, over time, the vehicles and equipment deteriorate from the rigorous work of disaster relief.  

Even though equipment is no longer useful to OSBDR, it can be useful to other ministries. During the past year, OSBDR has donated four items to SCBO churches, extending the life of the equipment and supporting ministries around the state. 

Recently, OSBDR donated a 2004 twelve-passenger van to Living Faith Church in Morning Sun, Ohio. The church had been praying for the past year for the Lord to give them a church van so they could bring kids to church.  “In 2019 we started a mission to replant a dying church,” said Pastor Allen Stinson.   

“When we surveyed the area, parents said they would be interested in sending the kids to church if we had a church van,” said Stinson. “We told Reginald Hayes, SCBO convention relations – community, that we were praying and looking for a van and asked him to keep his ear to the ground for one.”  

We can’t even begin to explain the blessing this was for us!

In March, Hayes called Stinson and told him that he had a van for Living Faith. “We can’t even begin to explain the blessing this was for us!” said Stinson. “On Easter we ran the van and brought in three new kids and one adult for the first Sunday running the van. We cannot thank you enough for donating this van to Living Faith. This van will help us keep spreading the love of Jesus to four forgotten communities here in Ohio and Indiana.” 

In addition to donating a van, OSBDR also donated a small utility trailer to United Faith International where Reginald Hayes pastors the church. “The trailer will be used for assisting low-income families who move and cannot afford movers, as well as transporting clothes, food products, cleaning, and hygiene supplies within urban needy communities,” said Hayes. 

In 2022, First Baptist Church Waverly and First Baptist Lancaster expressed interest in trailers OSBDR no longer needed. FBC Waverly received the decommissioned Child Care Unit trailer. “Our church voted to equip a DR trailer so that we could be ready to serve our community or our country in the name of Christ at a moment’s notice,” said Pastor Josh Ramey. “We can also use the trailer to schedule rebuilding assistance. We are ready to serve wherever God directs and are willing to let other churches in our area utilize the trailer for their own DR mission trips as well. We see it as a tool in the hands of Christ.” 

First Baptist Lancaster received a trailer and is in the process of getting it ready for community deployment.  OSBDR has two 5 x 8 trailers to donate to an SCBO ministry that will utilize them for a ministry purpose. If interested, please contact John Heading at jheading@scbo.org.