The 2022 Sharing Hope in Jesus' Name Conference in Orlando better equipped volunteers to serve those in need and share the Good News of Jesus Christ in times of disaster.
Last week, more than 1,200 Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief volunteers and Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains gathered for the 2022 Sharing Hope in Jesus’ Name Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Franklin Graham opened the conference with words of encouragement and the challenge to faithfully and boldly share the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This was a long-awaited, in-person reunion of the disaster relief “family” following the inaugural conference in 2019. The pandemic did not, however, prevent volunteers from serving on dozens of deployments—and helping thousands of homeowners in Jesus’ Name—during that nearly two-year span of shutdowns and postponements.
During this year’s four-day event, March 10-13, volunteers and chaplains heard from Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham and a passionate lineup of speakers, encouraging them to continue to boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“I want to say thank you to all of you who have volunteered to serve around this country, and I want to thank the pastors and the churches,” Franklin Graham told attendees on Thursday evening. “We’re just so grateful that we’re able to get together in worship like this and come together and share what God is doing.”
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee shared a keynote address on Saturday evening.
Attendees were encouraged by keynote speakers including Pastor Ken Bevel from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, a long-time partner of Samaritan’s Purse; and Will Graham, oldest son of Franklin Graham and vice president and associate evangelist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Will closed the conference with a special time of worship and Communion on Sunday.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, introduced by his wife, Janet, a longtime volunteer with U.S. Disaster Relief, shared a keynote address on Saturday evening.
“When I tell people to give generously to Samaritan’s Purse,” Gov. Huckabee said. “I do it because I see how contributions are used not just to clean up debris and help put tarps on roofs and take care of the most unpleasant tasks. But the single most important aspect of what Samaritan’s Purse does is that they do it in the Name of Jesus and they share His love.”
Pastor Ken Bevel from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, encouraged volunteers as he shared his community’s own experience after multiple disaster responses.
Testimony: God Is Changing Mayfield
Attendees were blessed as well to hear from a number of pastors, including Brad Morris, pastor of Mayfield First Assembly of God—our host church during our response after an EF4 tornado devastated Mayfield, Kentucky, in December.
Brad Morris, pastor of Mayfield First Assembly of God, expressed profound gratitude for volunteers and chaplains who came to Mayfield, Kentucky, after an EF4 tornado swept through.
Pastor Morris expressed heartfelt gratitude as he described the change he’s seen come over Mayfield since our response there.
“How many of you were in Mayfield?” Pastor Morris asked attendees on Saturday.
Chaplains and volunteers throughout the room raised their hands as Pastor Morris described how their hard work and Christian witness continue to strengthen the work of his church in the community. People who didn’t have hope even before the storm now have hope despite the storm.
“Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming to Kentucky,” Pastor Morris said through tears. “What the people of our town saw as they were crawling out of the rubble was orange-shirted people who were caring for them and being the manifest presence of Jesus in their lives.
“People who didn’t want anything to do with Jesus in their lives, and yet here came Jesus to them through you.”
Hands-on Skills and How to Present the Gospel
The conference emphasized practical ministry and disaster relief skills taught through panel discussions and training courses in crisis care, leadership, church partnership, and engaging younger generations toward volunteering.
Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries, expressed gratitude for the opportunity the conference offered to equip volunteers for the mission after disasters.
“People are here to learn how to effectively go and minister to people that have gone through disasters. We have people that are representing the Lord, being the mobile church and going to minister to people in a time of need,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse. “Our goal with this conference is to equip these men and women and send them out. There’s more storms coming and we want to be ready to go.”
Hands-on classes included a roof-tarping simulation, one session of which was moved indoors, ironically, as storms blew through central Florida. For part of the day Saturday, the sounds of hammering echoed indoors.
As the skies cleared, though, Sandy Pelton, who came to the conference from Colorado, said she was excited to continue her course in proper use of a chainsaw.
“The classes are what caught my attention,” Sandy said. “I want to learn how to share the Gospel and how to start a Gospel conversation—that caught my eye. Strangely enough learning how to use a chainsaw also caught my eye. That’s the class I’m doing right now.”
A recently retired nurse, Sandy first volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse during our response in 2005 in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Since her retirement, she has been looking for ways to volunteer on a more regular basis. The conference was her first step toward jumping back in.
Reconnecting with Family to Better Serve Others
Long-time volunteer and site leader Gary Ries similarly said he wants to continue sharpening his skills to work with people who are suffering and dealing with trauma after disasters. His wife, Sandy, has joined him on disaster responses in recent years.
Will Graham, oldest son of Franklin Graham and vice president and associate evangelist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, preached on Sunday.
“I got involved in disaster relief by accident,” Gary said. “I didn’t come to the Lord until I was 54. I traveled for a living and did trade shows. I was a roadie. I actually did a trade show in this hotel. When I received Christ, I gave all that up. Drugs, alcohol, life on the road.
“One of the guys in our church was heading out to Paducah, Kentucky, to help with an ice storm with Samaritan’s Purse. He asked me if I wanted to go and I had no reason not to go. That was 2009. I never looked back.”
“Being at this conference has been great. I haven’t seen some of these people in years. You crawl in the mud with these people. You’re under houses with them. You’re on roofs with them. You get tight. I really do consider this part of my family.”
For many volunteers the Sharing Hope in Jesus’ Name conference was like a family reunion, seeing people for the first time in years.
