How would you respond if a mission team member serving on an international trip you are leading suddenly went missing, or was robbed, or even died while serving overseas? A team of Florida Baptists is hoping to prepare you to face such a crisis.
The Crisis Action Team was created to lead “Safe and Secure Mission Trips” conferences across the state. The team of trainers is composed of Florida Baptists who have served in law enforcement, police chaplaincy, and international missions; or have led mission trips to multiple countries.
“Their differing backgrounds and experiences will ensure that a team can safely deal with the unexpected while out of the country,” said Craig Culbreth, catalyst of the Convention’s Missions and Ministries Team, who is developing the crisis action team. “They have had a great deal of experience.”
On May 7, a Safe and Secure Mission Trips conference held in Tampa drew 26 people. Another one will be held in Aug. 5 at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz.
The team of trained leaders are: Tim Martin, associate pastor, First Baptist Church of Middleburg; Jeff Howell, pastor of Church of the Rock in Plant City; Culbreth; Jeff Haglund, director of missions North Central Baptist Association; Joe Hutchinson, member, First Baptist Church of Middleburg; and Mike Wetzel, pastor of Island Chapel in Tierra Verde.
For more information on how your church can participate in the training, contact Culbreth at cculbreth@flbaptist.org.
By Barbara Denman, Florida Baptist Convention, June 6, 2016