The Open Door

As I write this article, it is late at night and the conclusion of a wonderful day. Today, we had our Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation meeting and the awarding of grant checks at our annual luncheon.

I remarked to the board, that every year on this day I remember the time that our board of the Georgia Baptist Health Care System was meeting in Waynesville, N.C. Much of that meeting was spent on our knees in prayer, as we were seeking the leadership of the Lord, regarding what we could do to extend our ministry of healing in a very difficult health care market. Frankly, survival of our health care ministry was at risk due to the difficult environment in which health care systems were operating.

I am confident that God led us to move from hospital buildings into a health care ministry foundation that has ministered to nearly 2 million individuals over the past 5 years.

Today, the Health Care Ministry Foundation awarded grants totaling $3,257,283.00. What a remarkable blessing it was to hand out 51 grant checks to ministries and organizations that are involved in health care in a vast variety of ways. By far, the majority of the checks were given to Georgia Baptist sponsored ministries. It was a joy also to bless the healing ministries of other organizations in Georgia and literally across the world.

As far as I am aware, and as far as our president and CEO Frank Upchurch is aware, there is no other ministry like this in the Southern Baptist Convention. Our health care ministry is unique, in that we were able to preserve the assets of our Health Care System, for the Executive Committee of the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, for the purpose of providing healing ministry support for years and years to come. I believe that you will rejoice along with me when I share with you some of the exciting things that have happened.

First of all, I should mention that over the past five years your Health Care Ministry Foundation has awarded a total of $22,779,565 in grants. Based on actual reports back to us from the ministries that we have helped, 9,097 salvations have resulted from the ministries that we have supported through these grants.

One of the largest distributions made over the past five years has been to pregnancy crisis ministries in Georgia. Through these ministries that we have supported, 27,261 contacts have been made with women who were contemplating an abortion. As a direct result of the support you provided for these ministries, 2,876 babies’ lives were saved! This is a HALLELUJAH report that should thrill every one of us.

Not only have the ministries supported through these Health Care Ministry Foundation grants blessed the lives of those who have received ministry, but they have also been a blessing to the 29,899 volunteers who have been involved in these ministries. The dollars that have been granted have extended hope and healing to some of the most needful and desperate people in Georgia and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

God’s Kingdom is being extended through the ministry of your Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation due to the willingness of our Health Care System board to think outside the box as they prayed earnestly for the divine guidance of the Almighty God. It is such a joy to serve among people with that kind of vision!