Ready for Disaster

By Ken Akers, Director, Master's Men

The Master’s Men Disaster Response Team (DRT) is happy to announce the purchase of several items of much-needed heavy equipment. One of the most valuable tools for disaster relief is a skid steer, commonly referred to as a Bobcat. Thanks to a grant from Free Will Baptist Foundation, the DRT was able to purchase a Bobcat™ skid steer.

With the heavy machinery, DRT will be able to move large trees and brush blown down during a hurricane or tornado. After crews cut trees into smaller, manageable pieces, the skid steer can move in a few hours what might take several men days to do. In addition to the Bobcat, the team purchased a tandem trailer to haul it, and using additional generous gifts, a Ford F-350 truck to pull it.

Director Ken Akers expressed his gratitude: “We are so grateful to all who have supported DRT through going and giving. We are better equipped to serve our denomination and our Lord during times of disaster through what Free Will Baptists have done to support this ministry.”

When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Free Will Baptists responded by giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to help those devastated by the storm. Churches across the nation sent many volunteers to repair, rebuild, and relieve storm victims along the Gulf Coast.
Though Master’s Men was already involved in disaster relief, the response to the storm made it clear Free Will Baptists needed an organized national plan for relief efforts. The following year, delegates to the 2006 National Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, approved a Disaster Response Plan, and tapped Master’s Men to head up relief efforts for the denomination.

With the high number of natural disasters over the past decade, Master's Men expanded the DRT to include regional directors who guide more localized disaster response efforts. Currently, the DRT has fully equipped teams and trailers in Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Master’s Men additionally partners with leaders in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Illinois—states with their own trailers and equipment.

“The best time to prepare for disaster is before a disaster,” Director Akers said with a smile. “Thanks to the Foundation and the generosity of individual Free Will Baptists and churches, this year we have taken a significant step in our ability to respond when people need us most.”

To learn more about becoming a part of Free Will Baptist disaster response, visit www.MastersMen.org or email Ken Akers: ken@nafwb.org.